Another inter-island ferry split

While Guernsey is throwing £150,000 at the project, the Government of Jersey isn't putting in a penny. It wasn’t asked to. Our States didn’t approach them about getting involved either.

On that basis, as we speculated yesterday, the prospect of our Economic Development Committee doing wonders for the St Helier economy grows ever larger. It now needs a massive effort to get Jersey residents to come over here.

There is no rationale for Jersey not backing inter-island in the way that our States now has. But of course, they would say they have a fine excuse. Nobody asked them to.

Maybe it was no surprise that we didn’t feel the entente was cordiale enough to bother Jersey on this one, following the shambles of the conclusion of the ferry tender.

Both islands (and Sark) are also supporting Manche-Iles this summer, with Jersey actually putting more into the project than Guernsey.

But Guernsey’s support was agreed a couple of weeks before we announced a long-term ferry deal with a French company which has given the island unparalleled French links, with much better ships.

We’re now in danger of overpaying on ferry subsidies, mainly to help islanders to get off the rock and spend their hard-earned somewhere else.