UK media onslaught revives the talk of independence...

ANOTHER week and another series of damaging headlines in the national papers for the Channel Islands.

Following on from The Times, The Guardian also set its sights on the island in a series of special investigations.

Nearly all of what was reported has been said before, but for those charged with defending the island's image on the international stage it shows how quickly it is possible to lose control of the message, particularly when your answers are not all that palatable or popular.

What it has also done is raise the issue of independence again as Jersey's Sir Philip Bailhache, the island's assistant chief minister, repeated what he has said many times before – that Jersey needs to be prepared.

Even in these increasingly troubled times, there is only a dull appetite in either island for going it completely alone.

Indeed, the headlines show just how vulnerable the jurisdictions can be.

For some, independence has come to the fore because of the recent actions of the UK over issues including Qrops and Low Value Consignment Relief.

But it could not stop countries changing their own laws in a way that impacts on the islands – indeed, what it might do is leave us more distant from that decision-making and with it less prepared.

Take LVCR.

Guernsey and Jersey fought a legal battle to retain the ability to send goods worth less than £15 into the UK VAT-free, something all other non-EU jurisdictions can do.

But the scrapping of LVCR was a surprise to no one.

The only surprise may be on the faces of Jersey politicians when it comes to adding up the legal bill.

A written question by Deputy Higgins has revealed the final sum payable by the States of Jersey for its legal advice will be £656,370.67.

It had estimated a bill of £360,000 – even that was six times as much as Guernsey's budget.

Now both islands still have to be told by HMRC how much the costs of the case they were ordered to pick up will be – they will pay half in total, so 25% each.

So there is more damage to the pockets yet.

There are many questions to be asked about the cost – particularly in Jersey, where they will be asking what ever happened to the idea of inter-island cooperation.

What if that £650,000 had been invested in other ways – kick-starting different economic activity, for example?

But what it demonstrates is the vast cost that can be associated with fighting anything in the international arena.

The movement in Guernsey appears to be based more on the desire to investigate legislative independence and the rights to sign off on international treaties.

Work on this has been started again – not, one suspects, because of the recent headlines, more because of the changes brought about in personnel by the general election and the ending of the LVCR challenge.

It comes at a time when the system of government is also set for review.

Both should be investigating the island's relationship with the Crown and how it is represented and the costs involved because this is one of those opaque areas that needs a light shone on it.

Even the vast majority of independence-flag wavers would baulk at ending the relationship with the Crown – there is virtually no desire to do so.

But that should not mean the role and costs of the Lt-Governor, Bailiff and Law Officers should be off limits.

They should very much be on the agenda.

Try to find a definitive guide to the responsibilities of the Lt-Governor, for example, and you are left scratching your head.

This is not to say that anything is amiss, more to say that it is impossible to judge – and that is not acceptable in a modern democracy.