Marcus Barker was one of a number of conseillers who resigned in June after backing an unsuccessful motion of no confidence in the island’s top committee, Policy & Finance, chaired by John Guille.
He said he cared deeply about Sark and was worried that under its current leadership the island was heading for insolvency.
‘Have we got a leadership problem? Look at the proof. In the last two to three years, almost half the House has resigned and we’ve also lost two top civil servants,' said Mr Barker.
'We’ve lost some extremely good people who are willing to give their free time and let their own work and jobs suffer to help the island.
‘If you have not got a certain perspective or disagree with certain things going on, especially with Policy & Finance, you’re pretty much excluded, which is just sad to be perfectly honest.'
Mr Guille was approached for comment about the matters raised.
Mr Barker said a lot of the members of Sark’s government who resigned wanted to bring new revenue streams to Sark to help its challenging financial position.
‘We wanted an economic plan because that’s how we think it’s good to build an economy,’ he said.
‘Without an economic development plan its reserves will keep dropping until Guernsey has to bail it out.’
Another Sark Conseiller, Ben Harris, quit during the latest meeting of Chief Pleas last week, describing the current leadership of the island as ‘autocratic’ and stating that there was no point being on Chief Pleas if his opinion was not listened to. Mr Barker said he agreed wholeheartedly with much of what Mr Harris said in his resignation statement.
‘To my knowledge, Ben was the only qualified lawyer ever to be elected to Chief Pleas,’ he said.
‘How the hell can he not get on the Policy & Finance Committee? For good politics we need people with different ideas who have different viewpoints. We can’t put the ones that don’t agree with certain people on the naughty step, and exclude them.’
Mr Barker, who runs a number of business in the UK moved to the island in 2017 and wrote his name into Sark’s record books by becoming the first person to buy his home under land reforms brought in in 2021.
‘There is no doubt in my mind that a new culture is needed within P&F regarding Sark’s finances. The members of this committee are the stewards and guardians of Sark’s financial wellbeing, and with that role comes a responsibility to provide leadership, vision, and accountability,’ he said.
‘After five years of the current chairs leadership we have no economic and island plan, and no new revenue streams or implemented initiatives, it is evident that Sark’s finances are in decline. This continuing lack of strategic direction is unsustainable. Unless proactive measures are taken, it will inevitably invite external influence and intervention, pressures that will test Sark’s autonomous status and undermine the island’s ability to govern its own affairs.’
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