Is the party over for politics?

It seems quite possible that Deputy Mark Helyar’s ‘withdrawal’ from the Guernsey Party may put an end to party politics, for the time being anyway.

Two parties have disappeared since the 2020 election, and while the Guernsey Party may struggle on, its reputation low with the public and its achievements unclear, it seems even to itself, there will be few tears at its passing.

The party and Deputy Helyar have appeared to be an uncomfortable coupling ever since the island’s treasury lead found himself fronting a campaign to introduce a goods and services tax or increase income tax in summer 2021. Critics immediately pointed to the ‘paradox’ of his position, leading the party of no tax increases.

It’s hard to understand how the deputy’s withdrawal from the party will change him being ‘unable to express my personal views because of the need to provide clear and unambiguous leadership from P&R, even when I may not have personally agreed with a particular position’.

Also a surprise was the claim that the Guernsey Party has ‘achieved real change in a very short period’. Voters may say: What has the Guernsey Party ever done for us?

Aside from what we expect to be its inability to deliver on public finances – seen as the party's main selling point, although it only pledged to ‘aim for’ no tax increases – it has been able, somehow, as part of the States majority, to bring about change in secondary education, trying to accelerate harbour development, introduced high speed broadband, attempted to influence energy policy, has seen Visit Guernsey reviewed, supported some moves for affordable housing, been involved in the return of the reciprocal health agreement with the UK, seen moves advanced to clear or develop ‘blighted land’, and supported some social policy initiatives.

Much of this, of course, has been achieved through being part of 'the coalition'. It is this arrangement, rather than official parties, which has secured much of the States’ ambitions so far, and such a grouping will probably prove more influential in the next political term.