Better the devil you know
RECENTLY I was amused, if not entertained and bemused, by a certain letter last month [September 18] on the Guernsey Press pages by Tom Castledine. He carries much weight as a respected businessman, hospitality and brewery expert, senior hotelier and past Transport board member in the golden Roger Berry era. His point is that long political service in itself should command significant presidential roles or senior positions. But these trends go in cyclical waves. After the bright dawn of the Sarnian spring of 2012, all of the senior economic and ministerial roles were taken by political newcomers, but with a strong corporate background. The opposite occurred after 2016 when some veteran politicians gained senior positions.
Actually the Chamber members choose people for the top jobs for a variety of reasons. Amidst all of the ballyhoo and misunderstanding about greedy and self-seeking members voting for a pay increase, one should point out that the 2021 pay package will be lower than the panel suggested, especially for the DPA president. But when members (including themselves voting for their jobs on the top bench after an election) choose the senior principal committee leaders and the Policy & Resources board team, they are actually voting for some of their colleagues to take home a £1,000 or more per month extra! When myself and Deputy de Lisle suggested a fairer, more egalitarian and taxpayer-friendly alternative last month, the Assembly even debated it.
Whilst I am not quite suggesting members choose their colleagues for a senior role because they surmise that the individuals need or deserve the extra pay, one cannot wholly discount that agenda. The fact that someone democratically has performed well in the polls can also be a consideration as well as a balance of factions, ages and talents. Hustings performance, both before election and within the States for a job, can also be a factor. I agree with the Press editorial when it states that the hustings is a much-loved tradition whereby substance beyond a possibly ghosted manifesto can be assessed, such as attitude, body language, tone and mental agility. But experience counts too.
With respect to Mr Castledine, he would be unlikely to appoint a novice to a senior retail, hotel managerial or top chef role if the candidate was a superstar in, for example, a sporting, accountancy or legal role. Inevitably, most sensible States members and civil servants will realize – as Deputy Trott said a few years back – that long-term career politicians are survivors, tried and tested. Perhaps better the devil you know than a leap in the dark on a newbie?
More amusingly I got the humour of one of the other points of Mr Castledine’s letter when he suggested we would have a more sensible States of Guernsey Assembly debate with artificial intelligence rationally making decisions, free of personalities and prejudice, and maybe a touch of outdated nostalgia. Whether a new House of 38 pre-programmed robots would be entirely democratic or inclusive is open to debate. I fear that the savings you might make on evidence-based smart decision-making could be lost with some outsourced £200-million plus contract on servicing and designing this ground-breaking technology for an insular context.
Bearing in mind Deputy Inder from SACC gets frustrated that the States cannot deliver electronic democracy for next summer – with a ballot box accessed from your home tablet or phone app without cyber threats, let alone an electronic hustings – asking for a 2020 islanders Assembly full of brilliant problem-solving, super cyber robot avengers is too far a stretch.
But at least the robotic AI members would be pay-capped and gender neutral?
JOHN GOLLOP
28 Rosaire Court,
Rosaire Avenue,
St Peter Port,
GY1 1XW.