Political know-how is thinly spread

It was the perception of bias he worried about, not the reality. Having two members of the Guernsey Partnership of Independents on the committee holding the States to account would look wrong.

How should the 13,927 islanders who voted for Deputy St Pier perceive the States now?

That it is vindictive and lacking in judgement?

That it is willing to cast aside political experience and proven ability – qualities in desperately short supply in this Assembly – to settle old scores?

That it cares little for the views of 57% of the island’s electorate?

To overlook Deputy St Pier for one job could be seen as careless. To ignore his credentials for three is foolhardy.

As it is, with its two most senior statesmen left idling on the backbenches, the States is dangerously short of experience.

Of the six principal committees, half have no members with any understanding of how government works. The pressure on their presidents and civil servants to bring them up to speed quickly will be enormous.

The last Assembly was slow out of the blocks. This one has already strapped on its own leg-irons.

Paid-up members of the ‘worst-States-ever’ fan club will nevertheless be rejoicing. Seduced by empty promises of ‘action’ and ‘change’ they want all the blame heaped on a few shoulders.

As will quickly become clear, it is not that simple. The government engine jams easily, no matter who is at the wheel.

Worse, this Assembly has no money. And the ruling faction has told voters it won’t borrow or raise taxes.

Even the best deputies of Assemblies past would struggle to deliver revolution on a shoestring.

Time will tell. But when – not if – things go wrong this Assembly can expect little patience and forgiveness from islanders after the last week of bloodletting. Deputies have very deliberately shattered the link between the electorate and the elected.

It is a high-risk gamble funded by the hubris of winning an election.

The reality of government will hit hard.