An islands tender dilemma
Here’s an intriguing question. Was it Jersey or Guernsey who was the least committed to the joint ferry tender process last year?
Because aspersions have been cast on both sides of the water since the process completed / collapsed (delete as you think appropriate) at the end of last year.
They say that one island couldn’t wait to confirm Condor, while the other couldn’t wait to get rid. But now they’re getting serious – civil service serious.
Jersey’s one-time lead officer on the project – before he was taken off it after he appeared to indicate support for DFDS in online activity – has told a scrutiny hearing in his island that Guernsey and Jersey were miles apart at the beginning of the process and never really got any closer. And he described Guernsey politicians as ‘cynical’ over the exercise.
‘The writing was on the wall from an early stage,’ said Richard Corrigan.
‘We had the same discussions and the same joint responses to questions, but Guernsey took a very different view.’
Whatever the rights and wrongs – and surely such a process will never be attempted again, let alone completed – we are where we are. New services begin within a fortnight.
All the discussions, the pointers and the ‘vibes’ indicate that Guernsey seems to be in a more robust and relaxed position at this stage.
Better the devil you know?