Controversial proposals to change, drawn up over the course of two political terms, won majority support at a special Alderney States meeting held yesterday afternoon, but failed to clear the threshold of seven votes in favour required to amend the island’s electoral laws. Six members backed the proposal.
The future shape of Alderney politics, including the idea of moving to a more executive style of government, was unclear last night.
In introducing the motion, Policy & Finance Committee chairwoman Jeannie Cameron claimed that the current system was not working as it should.
‘We see the inertia and the difficulty in making decisions, responsibility is fragmented, good ideas don’t progress and momentum is lost,’ she said.
She quoted from external reviews which concluded that, without reform, Alderney was destined to decline.
‘We mustn’t allow self-interest to stand in the way of reform,’ she said.
Several other members echoed her sentiments and said that reform had been a part of both their own and others’ manifestos.
The first opposition came from Kevin Gentle, who had previously led the examination of possible reforms to Alderney’s system of government. He was highly critical of the decision to lay the proposal to move to a single general election, which he supported, together with the one to reduce to eight members, which he did not.
He also said the reforms he and others had previously supported was a package, including executive government, whereas the proposals now on offer were ‘tinkering around the edges’.
Bill Abel also held differing views on the two key issues but his concerns were reversed to Mr Gentle’s. He supported fewer members but wanted to retain biennial elections.
Alex Snowdon had been open about his reservations in the run up to the debate, and he reiterated several of his concerns, including the timing of the reforms, coming ahead of the findings of the Bailiwick Commission.
He also predicted that there was a less than 50% chance of the legislative changes being passed by the Privy Council ahead of November’s election in the island, and asked why there was a need to hurry.
He warned that the proposed smaller States Assembly might be dangerous if party politics emerged in Alderney, and claimed many longstanding Alderney residents had expressed reservations to him.
Former Alderney Representative in the States in Guernsey, Steve Roberts, was even more robust in his criticism.
He said the proposals were ‘gerrymandering’ and described them as ‘underhand political manoeuvring’ which amounted to ‘executive government by the back door’, and claimed that local families were very concerned by the proposals and felt betrayed.
In replying to the debate, Ms Cameron predicted that Mr Abel effectively held the ‘casting vote’. She was proved right as he voted against the proposals.
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