The politics of challenge

But then some people really don’t like challenge, either provoking the confrontation or being on the receiving end of it. This States particularly.

Many deputies don’t like being tackled, and as a result, with senior members enjoying the defences of substantial communications support, go to ground, and respond, if at all, via a statement. The few who do embrace the challenge tend to be of the old school.

The modern breed of politician seems to either be rather disengaged from the whole political process, or so engaged in the work of their own committee(s) that they appear to be almost part of the executive and simply don’t have time to look beyond their committee papers at any other area of government.

Such challenge that has proved successful this political term has tended to be concentrated and something of a gang mentality – one can think of a few instances of committees being harshly put down within the States Assembly.

So the active agitator is criticised, sidelined. While the taciturn president is rarely seen outside of statement form.

You don’t have to conduct all your business through the media, but when the public is looking for answers and leadership – most notably recently over Aurigny’s future direction, but there are other issues – and there’s nothing there, an angry reaction should come as no surprise.