‘Remember that the world is watching’

AS A RECENT immigrant, I hope I am allowed to use the term ‘our island’. Guernsey is emerging, blinking, into the sunlight of an opened-up post-Covid world, free of most travel and quarantine restrictions (at least to/from the UK) and there is a palpable feeling in the collective gut that our island is at something of a crossroads.

On various fronts, with different examples front and centre grabbing attention, this island’s people are being asked just what, in this brave new world, they want their home to be, to be seen to stand for, to show what it can do and achieve, to show off with pride its values and goals. But there is an unspoken battle going on in the vague collective as to just what all that may look like in this new decade.

Take, for example, the furore (and more) surrounding Deputy Chris Le Tissier’s trolling on social media via a pseudonym. The States Members’ Conduct Panel found ‘his behaviour offensive, deliberately deceptive, disrespectful and wholly unacceptable’, to quote the introduction to Richard Digard’s excellent article on the subject in these pages earlier this month. Regular readers of my monthly utterances will know full well of my contempt for Planet Zuckerberg and his Facebook and Instagram ‘platforms’. Twitter et al are in the same camp of behaving damagingly irresponsibly behind the shield of ‘we’re not publishers, we’re just platforms’, but the trolling users are clearly well and truly in the dock. I am often the object of trolling but I don’t do Facebook and don’t look at Twitter and, anyway, I am told it is thankfully mild compared with what many public figures, celebrities and sportswomen and men have to endure. It is a scourge of our society and should be stamped out, especially when done by politicians, who should set the example.

So please help me, do I have this right? Deputy Le Tissier is still in his job! Why?

A democratically-elected representative of the people is found guilty by an independent panel of the behaviour described above and he had, as all the deputies had, signed up to ‘at all times conduct themselves in a manner which will tend to maintain and strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the integrity of the States ... and never undertake any action which would bring the States, or its members generally, into disrepute’.

The facts are not in dispute. (If they are, then that is a serious matter to be dealt with urgently and transparently.)

If Deputy Le Tissier is expelled, a by-election would be triggered, potentially costing some £500,000.

And yet the world is watching prevarication and delay blot this particular landscape.

Democracy isn’t cheap. Blood and treasure are frequently spent to keep its amazingly joyous flame alight. So not expelling the deputy to avoid the cost of a by-election is frankly pathetic. Asking the guilty party for a contribution to these costs may be worthy of exploration.

Justice must not only be done but be seen to be done – and quickly. Justice delayed is justice denied. The States is collectively facing The Test. There must be no defence of self-interest, no gathering the wagons around in a circle of ‘Guernsey is only for Guernseymen’ outdated sentiment. If Deputy Le Tissier’s defence rests on the fact that ‘he had not appreciated the standards which were required’, then what on earth is everyone waiting for?

The world is watching to see in what global game Guernsey wants to play.

Exhibit Two, m’lud, is what might be termed ‘The Warren Gatland Affair’. (If his Lions win the series in South Africa, you can put a ‘Sir’ in front of that.)

It is fine to decide that Guernsey doesn’t want to play host to the training camp of one of the best-known sports teams on the planet. But if the decision is taken to enter the lists of bidding for the appointment, then go for it.

Two of the English Rugby Premiership chairmen are Guernsey residents, our facilities are first class and the Bailiwick’s make-up lends itself to unique team bonding days on Sark, Alderney or Herm.

And if an exception to the rules is made in the cause of winning something for the island, putting it on the global map, enhancing its global sporting reputation, being shown as open for business, then so be it.

I missed my Mum’s funeral last year because of the rules, but I’m not Warren Gatland and there are thousands like me, but there’s only one Lions training camp and treating that situation preferentially is fine by me.

But Guernsey, please don’t get the man over, do a good job on explaining why we’re special ... and then watch various parts of the public tell him he’s not welcome.

Coming second isn’t acceptable, coming second to Jersey hurts that little bit more, but getting into the ring with both hands tied behind your back by a public who leave Mr Gatland in no doubt that he shouldn’t have come is just wrong.

The politicians and civil servants may well have accepted the blame and apologised, but surely those who kicked up the public fuss in the first place should shoulder some responsibility here. Do they want their island enjoying a quality global reputation or not?

And lastly, we move to a third example: the Guernsey Aircraft Registry.

Set up in 2013 as a public/private partnership, it achieved great success with its business focus and developing a reputation around the world for being efficient, value for money and the place to register your private plane, wherever you or the plane may live.

Income was generated for Guernsey but, just as importantly, our island’s global reputation was enhanced, especially with the owners of those private planes who also tended to be precisely the wealthy investors Guernsey should be attracting.

But service levels have tapered off. The public side of the partnership hasn’t been sufficiently well resourced, neither in funding nor interest. There is little or no traction with the politicians or those who serve them.

The situation has led to the Civil Aviation Authority not signing off on audits and the ability to fly GY-registered aircraft is becoming restricted. So the wealthy register their aircraft in competitor locations, Guernsey suffers reputational damage in global markets (again) and another opportunity to place our island on the global map goes begging.

And I guess that’s where I came in. Our island is at a crossroads. What sort of society does it really want to be? It is indeed a noble pursuit to pull up the drawbridge and sign out from a world that’s going straight past. There are benefits to pulling the duvet over your head as the bright light of a post-Covid Brave New World intrudes.

But left wing or right wing, isolationist or a global outreacher, socialist or capitalist, you all need money to make your dreams a reality and money’s tight (and will clearly get tighter). ‘Out there’ are the very people and businesses we need to attract to create the wealth the island needs, to deliver whatever type of island you want your Guernsey to be.

But when that light intrudes, as it will, regularly and often uninvited, we need the reflection from Guernsey to be bright and resolute.

Remember, deputies in the Le Tissier affair.

Remember, some of the public when telling Warren Gatland he wasn’t welcome.

Remember, those who can make GY aircraft registration a global success again.

Remember that the world is watching and silently passing judgement ... and then voting with their feet and with their pounds, euros and dollars.