Guernsey Press

Shambolic States fails to restore trust

THIS is a government that is wildly out of touch with the public mood.

Published

The debate on whether to hold a Tribunal of Inquiry into the recruitment of a head of curriculum and standards should have been all about restoring public trust.

Instead, it did just the opposite. Worse still, some of those opposed had so much hubris they believed they already knew all the answers.

In a shambolic set of decision-making, members first watered down the tribunal to be a Scrutiny review, and then three members of the States' senior committee, having seen no conflict in taking part in that vote, scuppered even that direction by deciding to abstain from the final vote.

It is muddled, protectionist thinking that the public will see right through.

Remember Policy & Resources and Education have both said they would welcome a review – it is now evident that they would rather sit on their hands than have one that is forensic and challenging. It is reflective of the stalling of P&R’s own look at this matter which increasingly comes across as wilful dragging of feet.

It is not enough to say the right things, the public needs to see this States finally do the right things, otherwise we are all left to wonder what they are afraid of?

Those voting against were worried about the cost, but wilfully conflated a one-off spend while they will happily tick off recurring multi-million pound increases in expenditure that the taxpayer has to cover. This States collectively wants to up spending by £33m. more than will be available in next year’s Budget – it puts the up to £250,000 for the tribunal into stark perspective.

No-one looking at a senior appointment in the public sector now can be confident they will be subject to a fair process free of political interference. No-one knows that their future job prospects do not depend on the whim and fancy of a deputy.

Scrutiny may well launch an inquiry, but its lack of evidential powers ties its hands from the start.

And that is just what everyone involved in this shameful saga would have wanted.