Sark 'is not well-governed'

LORD McNALLY has admitted he feels a 'sense of failure' with Sark and has spoken about it being the only Crown Dependency that is not well-governed.

The UK minister with responsibility for the Crown Dependencies, pictured, was giving evidence at a Justice Committee hearing regarding developments in the islands since 2010.

He was asked questions regarding the level of intervention the UK Government could have with the Crown Dependencies in relation to good governance.

While he believed the jurisdictions were well governed, Sark was an exception to that. 'I don't give Sark a clean bill of health,' he said.

'Sark has only had democracy since the 2008 reforms. I think in its own evidence to you it said that we don't fully appreciate how wedded at least some people on Sark are to the old ways.

Sark Newsletter defended the publication in its latest edition. It stressed that it was owned by its editor-in-chief, Kevin Delaney.

'Lord McNally, you should know that without The Sark Newsletter there would be no opposition in Sark, no one to make the points, however forcefully, that you yourself take and make, there would be no pressure for change and nothing to hold to account the sick and unfit government of Sark you have identified,' it said.