GWP can only take P&R so far
TWO years into government and the senior States committees have responded to a Guernsey Press request for an update on their progress to date.
As a whole, this States of ‘action’ will so far be perceived not to have achieved as much as it might have wanted. Those at the centre will say its collaborative working is a significant advance and evidence of progress on the previous assembly, though the available public evidence appears to reveal a tetchy and divided Assembly, lacking much of the mutual respect of days of yore.
The senior States committee, Policy & Resources, tells us that its efforts largely follow the map set out by its Government Work Plan, a work in progress in itself.
Its response to Covid and Brexit should so far be seen as a success, in line with Guernsey’s proud record of generally responding well to situations imposed on us.
But across its more locally-generated mandate, P&R struggles to justify any claim of progress in reforming the island’s tax system, its ability to respond to the cost-of-living crisis has been hamstrung by finances, and while it has clearly poured effort and cash into securing land for housing sites, a positive move, we’re not yet much further forward yet in progressing those plans or demonstrating a coherent approach.
Plenty for this committee to do in the next 12 months and beyond.