Maybe the ‘middle way’ forward is best

The Maybe.

With just over a year to go before a hard Brexit, it is time for the Guernseyman (person) to control his future. But who is a Guernseyman? Is he one of the 20% born on the island from pure Guernsey stock and restricted from immigration into Europe? Was he born in Guernsey from previous or more recent arrivals? It should not matter. If you love this island, it’s time for a decision. Guernsey is unique, a self-governing island nation, whose allegiance is to the Duke of Normandy, also called the Queen of England. We have no allegiance to the UK parliament or need to abide by their decisions.

The Guernseyman has always been a bit of an entrepreneur, be it the best pirates/privateers in the Middle Ages, appointed by their duke to raid the French/Spanish galleons, or in times of peace acting as traders between the nations. In the 19th century we even dug up rocks and sold them to the English. In the last century they spotted an opening for the growing industry to supplement their farming, fishing and tourist industries. Guernsey also had Tektronix established here in the 1950s, due to our position, close to Europe, which was recovering from war, good transport links, English speaking and a willing-to-work population. Who knows, we could have become the first Silicon Valley and now be competing with China.

Is there some place else in the world we could compare with? Yes. Singapore, also invaded in the war by the Japanese, but defended by the British, and left totally destroyed. They have now become a major player in the world, due to their position, their tax structures and open-door policy of unrestricted development and immigration to service it. In recent years, with forward thinking and reducing finance possibilities, they are looking at tourism, with the best hotels, largest casino, etc. Singapore is 10 times the size of Guernsey. The population is 100 times, mostly crammed into the tower blocks in Singapore City. Think of it.

What does the Guernseyman want? There appears to be options.

Take a decision to create a mini Singapore. Open sky, open doors and open arms to all willing to invest or work. Increase our population tenfold, expand St Peter Port into a mega city with housing, hotels and offices for the wealthy, and with St Sampson’s rebuilt to accommodate the workforce. Build a new international airport out to sea in the north, Reclaim Belle Greve Bay, construct a massive hydro-electric dam across to Herm, incorporating a new commercial harbour, with tubular monorail access. Our existing harbour and Havelet Bay could then become a major marina, heliport, etc. for the world’s rich. The existing airport could be redeveloped into a new town for the Guernseyman. Who could not accept this future?

Or, take a decision to step back 50 years. Accept what is now happening and cut our cloth accordingly. Go back to the basics: there is more than sufficient land to feed the reduced size of the population and we have the sea. It is too late to re-establish the ‘bucket and spade’ holiday-maker, but maybe some would manage to get here for a pretty unique holiday.

Life would be very quiet. Too quiet?

Take a decision to meet in the middle. Appoint a forward-looking government, much reduced in size and costs but with experience and willing to make the correct decisions – or some decisions. But what could these decisions be?

1. Our finance industry is well respected in some parts of the world. We were not asked to vote for Brexit. We have no say in any decision-making on Brexit. England decided to get out. Europe is going to punish them. But in the future the two sides are going to have to work together. Once again Guernsey is in the ideal location – independent, friendly with both and capable of acting as an intermediary in trade and finance. Our States should be investigating this.

2. Tourism. We cannot compete with the cheap flights and the sangria. But we are pretty unique for a small and specialised tourist industry. The wealthy of England and Europe could be persuaded to fly into Guernsey, for short breaks, if we met their needs, i.e. very high-class accommodation, £1,000-£2,000 a night, secure storage for their private jets, a Town heliport, a few world-class restaurants, interesting night life and a casino. The island itself would need a facelift for those tourists wishing to get their feet mucky or view island life from their chauffeur-driven carriages.

To encourage this form of tourism, create a restriction on car ownership and introduce a free and efficient public transport system. Stop building in the countryside, except in selected places suitable for the right tourist accommodation.

3. Upgrade our utility services, especially IT. The future is one man and his computer.

4. Become more self-sufficient. Encourage farming and fishing, not only for the locals but so that visitors can enjoy quality food. Re-establish our growing industry. If people in cities around the world are growing on top of their tower blocks with hydroponics, what could we do here?

5. Reassess our transport to the island. Stop subsidising a loss-making airline and encourage a local inter-island flight and boat system to our sister islands and the two mainlands. Our new £180m. airport will be adequate.

6. Make use of the monies already borrowed, to fund forward and required investment.

7. Keep most of our tax base as existing, but give rebates to those prepared to invest in the island. Resolve the current reducing tax take by introducing a goods and services tax. The basics to live would be zero, the luxuries very high. Double the tax allowances for the less well off and increase those of the wealthy, who would then invest their monies to get the rebates.

8. Retain, but repair our education system. If you can afford a private education for your kids, great. If not the States system has to meet the requirements of the others. Create some form of States education bursaries, i.e. if your kid has great potential, borrow the monies and pay it back. Give consideration to a special small island university. Our position relative to the UK and Europe is perfect. This has the advantage of spending power and long-term immigration and increasing the tax take to support our elderly.

To sum up, what we need is a States with forward-thinking policies, not bickering among themselves, trying to get Brownie points and retain their salaries. Guernsey should take note of its two smaller islands. Sark missed out on their future potential by deciding to retain the feudal system. Alderney is rapidly returning to a previous Alcatraz, but this time it is their own population.

Name and address withheld.