What happened to Revive and Thrive?
REMEMBER the heady days of 18 months ago? Covid cases were sticking at zero. Guernsey was ahead in its Covid escape plan. We were all looking forward to freedom from lockdown. Not only had it been a wonderful spring, weather-wise, but we were looking forward with optimism. A general election was in the offing. And all the talk was about Building Back Better, Revive and Thrive, and good old #GuernseyTogether.
What happened to those days and that enthusiasm?
A significant report on climate change to the States from Environment & Infrastructure, completed during lockdown in June 2020 and debated that August, has those buzzwords running through it like a stick of rock.
At that time the States published its own Revive and Thrive strategy, led by then Chief Minister Gavin St Pier. Thoughts returned to it when Deputy St Pier published the ideals of his new political party, Future Guernsey, earlier this week.
Flashback to June 2020. ‘The GuernseyTogether spirit has demonstrated the strength of community, a recognition that we are in it together and together we can achieve so much,’ said Deputy St Pier.
‘I hope the time is right to do things differently, that coming through the pandemic successfully has changed our culture and given us the sense of perspective so we can pull together towards a better future.’
Much of that narrative remains with Deputy St Pier’s new ‘Future Guernsey’ construct but has the island, and the government, lost the momentum?
The priorities identified at that time were:
. completing a review of air and sea links and deciding once and for all what to do with Aurigny – arguably some progress made;
. investment in built infrastructure and regeneration of the east coast seafront – stymied by the States itself after an ignominious debate;
. reviewing the population management regime – under way but well behind schedule; and
. overhauling telecoms infrastructure and 5G – progress with roll out of fibre-to-the-home.
The buzz phrases of Revive and Thrive and Build Back Better have certainly fallen off the radar, but government might well argue that it is making meaningful progress.
Maybe with Covid again high up the agenda, Revive and Thrive should be on hold. But the value of a feel-good factor should not be underestimated, and at the moment that’s rather been lost.