Do we resent working with Jersey?

It’s intriguing to take the perspective from over the water. Guernsey, reads its editorial, ‘resents being the smaller one and likes to have a dig’ at Jersey, which, the paper admits, ‘is seen as overbearing, bossy and a little full of himself’.

The ‘ongoing enmity’ demonstrated in the debate has ‘frustrated many attempts at collaboration’ and the Jersey Evening Post sees it unlikely that anyone will ‘grow out of it’.

What existential threat would make collaboration a priority, it asked? Well it has happened, but usually when both islands, and our finance industries, are under threat from actions taken by the UK government. But even then… there have been occasions we hear when partners have had to be urged to hold the line in negotiations.

The electricity moves might happen, but won’t be going ahead as explicitly as some politicians would wish, largely for the reasons outlined above, and the positions taken by some of their colleagues. Ironically the two companies may well have been able to deal with each other far more effectively, and in a less confrontational way, if left to negotiate themselves.

As the Post says, working together ‘seems too important to leave to the small-mindedness of some politicians’. It’s more complex than that, but don’t expect anything much any time soon.