Exactly how are we ‘lurching to the left’, Mr Perkins?

Is he right?

Actually I think he is about as wrong as he could be. If anything, the current Assembly is considerably to the right of the class of 2012-2016. As somebody said to me: ‘If Mr Perkins is seeing reds under the bed then he really should have gone to Specsavers.’

In St Peter Port the likes of Peter Sherbourne, Ellis Bebb and Richard Conder are gone but Peter Ferbrache and Joe Mooney have arrived. In St Sampson’s we have no Scott Ogier but we do have Carl Meerveld. In the Castel we have Richard Graham in place of Darren Duquemin. In the Vale we have Jeremy Smithies where once we had Andrew Le Lievre. In the south-east Rob Prow has replaced Rob Sillars, while out west, in came Andrea Dudley-Owen for Yvonne Burford. All the newcomers are good people but they are hardly the sort who would be endorsed by Momentum.

Before going any further I must confess that I have always found the left-right analysis of politics far too simplistic and two-dimensional. Particularly within Guernsey’s system of government. One day I find myself in bed with deputies who would be dubbed by many as right wing. The next day, on a different issue, I am firmly ensconced with those deemed to be on the left.

What does left-wing really mean? Does it mean wanting to tax and spend? Or failing to promote business properly? Or wanting to protect workers’ rights? Or consumer rights? Or being socially liberal on issues like abortion or assisted dying? Or being concerned about our environment? Perhaps it means being worried about the weakest and most vulnerable in our society – in which case, count me in. In reality, most deputies I have ever known are a complex mixture of all of these things. An alloy of left and right.

Certainly if a States is to be placed on the left-right axis on its propensity to tax and spend, then pigeon-holing this one is a poser.

Actually, the total amount the States raises in taxes is far less, as a proportion of GDP, than it was a decade or two back. While it’s true that individuals are being taxed more than ever before, this is largely to cope with the lingering impact of the zero-10 tax regime which slashed nearly £100m. from corporation tax. Hardly a left-wing policy. As a result of those lower business taxes we have been living beyond our means for the best part of a decade and are only now eliminating the budget deficit. Balancing the books? Now that really is the sign of a bunch of lefties.

In respect to spending, this States is about as right-wing as any since the early 80s. Sadly, it has to be. Multi-millions have been stripped out of expenditure on public services and the current Assembly has signed up to saving a huge (unrealistic?) amount more. Indeed, a leading economist who reviewed Guernsey’s economy went out of his way to comment on its remarkable public spending restraint over the last few years. We’ve had almost no new service developments and existing services either pruned or delivered more cheaply. Certainly not the actions of a left-wing Assembly.

Is it, then, a failure to promote business which has attracted this left-wing epitaph? If so, in what way? What suggestion from our Economic Development Committee have we failed to back? It’s true that some of us have been very lukewarm about spending huge sums on a runway extension until we see any kind of good business case for it. That isn’t being left-wing, it’s just being prudent.

It is true that this States has done one thing which has really screwed some local businesses. I refer to the dreadful treatment of short-term and seasonal workers under our new population control regime. While I think this has been truly shameful, it was hardly a left-wing plot. The regime was pushed through the States by Deputy Mary Lowe with help from Gavin St Pier, Lyndon Trott, Richard Graham and Rob Prow. Collectively they may be many things – misguided, naive and plain wrong – but I would hardly call them Marxists. By contrast, several of those who are often dubbed ‘lefties’ had the sense to vote against bringing in the law.

Mr Perkins also quotes the move away from selective education as a sign of a drift to the left. How so? Surely getting the best outcomes for all island children must be above any ideology, whether left or right. I know that has been the only thing guiding me in these debates and I believe the same is true of all of my colleagues.

Education really shouldn’t be a left-right debate and the reason why Mrs May had to abandon her crusade to return to selection in the UK was striking. It wasn’t just because the official opposition opposed it. It was far more because so many Tory MPs were completely against the idea.

Mr Perkins’ last reason for fearing a lurch to the left – if media reports are correct – was too much spending on capital projects. This is just bizarre logic. If the States of the last few years is guilty of any great economic crime it is surely a complete failure to invest properly in Guernsey’s infrastructure.

Not only was this financially unwise in terms of the future bills it has stacked up, it has also crippled the local construction industry. Of course, they have also suffered from a dearth of private contracts, but such downturns are exactly when the States should be investing. Not only to help maintain the construction industry but also to get sharper prices.

Finally, can I warn against politics descending into name-calling in lieu of proper debate over individual issues? Being worried about the weak doesn’t make you a ‘lefty’. Wanting to support business doesn’t make you a ‘suit’. Caring about the environment doesn’t make you a ‘greenie’.

What’s wrong with these shorthand stereotypes? Well, they are all ways of dismissing someone’s arguments without having to really rebut the substance of what they are saying. It’s a lazy and superficial approach to politics which sits uncomfortably with Guernsey’s unique consensus system of government.

We can do better than that.