Sark Speaker election risks provoking UK

But even by the standards of Chief Pleas, the decision to install Lt-Colonel Reg Guille as Speaker and Returning Officer for Elections is shocking and unacceptable.

To recap, Mr Guille left Chief Pleas a year ago saying he had no plans to play any further part in the governance of Sark.

It was a surprising decision for a man who, as Seneschal and President of Sark’s Chief Pleas, had been a dominant force in island politics for many years.

In characteristic style, Mr Guille refused to give his reasons outside the debating hall and it was only later that it became clear what was going on.

It turned out that a complaint had been received about his part in the December 2018 elections.

A code of conduct panel had pointed out that, as a conseiller, Mr Guille had a legal obligation to co-operate with the resultant inquiry.

The former Seneschal, who at one time sat alone as the island’s judge and jury, had been asked to account for his actions. He chose instead to resign.

The hearing went ahead regardless, with a panel, including Seigneur Christopher Beaumont, deciding to uphold the complaint that Mr Guille had sought to intimidate a candidate in the elections.

He was instructed to apologise to both the candidate and the Speaker.

However, within 23 days of leaving Chief Pleas, Mr Guille returned as a non-elected member of the senior committee, Policy & Finance.

There was no public apology, just a resumption of business as usual.

It was a depressing indictment of Sark democracy, one which has been under scrutiny since the UK minister responsible for the Channel Islands, Lord Keen, sought assurance in October 2018 that Sark’s government had the skills and knowledge to function properly; that government decisions were made in a transparent way; and that there should be democratic accountability.

This fails all three and what the UK government will make of the election of Mr Guille to such a senior position within a year of sidestepping democratic justice is hard to fathom.

It seems at least seven conseillers within Chief Pleas are reckless in their determination to provoke ministers into action.

By doing so, they have failed to put their island first, choosing instead to favour personal loyalty and connections.