Former States economist Andy Sloan has taken over the role from Deputy Yvonne Burford, who proposed him.
He defeated Deputy John Gollop in a contested election by 24 votes to 11.
With a PhD in macro economics, a Masters degree in public policy economics, considerable experience across policy regulation and financial governance, and time spent as an elected town councillor in Hull, Deputy Sloan said he was approaching the role with ‘humility and a clear sense of purpose’.
‘I believe scrutiny matters, not just as a formality, but as a core pillar of good governance,’ said Deputy Sloan.
‘Scrutiny when done well improves decisions, reduces risk, increases transparency, builds trust and ultimately strengthens our democracy.’
He said he would work with committees to ensure Scrutiny’s reviews of their work were ‘timely, relevant and actionable.’
‘I want scrutiny to matter, not as a procedural step, but as a tool to help this assembly govern better.’
In relation to how its work was presented, Deputy Sloan said there was more Scrutiny could be doing to increase its visibility and impact, particularly in regards to financial oversight.
‘I would like us to raise the profile of our financial reviews, ensuring they are timely and independent, not just for members, but for the public,’ he said.
‘I’d also like to acknowledge the important step taken in the last term to make Scrutiny more open through the live-streaming of public hearings.’
He added he was keen for Scrutiny to ‘gently expand’ what it could offer.
‘I don’t just want Scrutiny to identify where things go wrong, I want to help ensure they go right in the first place.
‘That means exploring more pre-decision scrutiny, not interfering, but offering early, evidence-based input on significant proposals before they’re finalised.’
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