Inter-island working gets fresh push

On a political level at least, the benefits of cooperation have been accepted for some time.

But that belief has been met with resistance within some areas of the public sector where the real long-term gains in both service improvements and financial savings could be had.

The message that we are working together has too often amounted to little more than a photo opportunity while the big-ticket moves are quietly put on a shelf for another day.

Pressure on public revenues in both islands means that this should no longer be the case.

In his first annual report, Guernsey’s States chief executive Paul Whitfield outlines 16 priorities for this year.

You will find the usual focus on digitisation, transformation and service improvement, but also confirmation of fresh steps on cooperation.

A Channel Islands Public Services Board was established earlier this year, a sign that with a new chief executive in post in the States of Jersey it means a fresh impetus has been put into this issue.

Policy & Resources president Gavin St Pier and Jersey chief minister Ian Gorst have both previously been busy laying the groundwork publicly for joint initiatives to take off.

There is a pledge in the Whitfield report to identify and properly resource opportunities for this type of working.

Expect regulation, health service provision, law enforcement, education, commissioning and procurement all to feature as areas where efficiencies can be gained if only there is the will to drive the change through.

They will need to overcome the type of issues that led to a split over data protection, where six years of a pan-Channel Island post dissolved under the pressure and different approaches to GDPR late last year.

The stretch of water between Guernsey and Jersey may not be great, but it has in the past created an insurmountable barrier.