Powers-that-be hit all-time low

The excellent Graham Guille reminds us that electors must be free to elect their own candidates, that’s democracy. Quite right, otherwise why is Guernsey going down the torturous path to IWV next year? The powers-that-be have their favourites, of course, those invited to meetings and those not, very inclusive. Those that chunter on endlessly and those who are virtually told to ‘shut up and sit down’. Very democratic. And those who have to fight a ‘war of attrition’ to get funding while having to endure cross-examinations to boot. Obfuscation surely?

Meanwhile, the favoured few get ‘largesse’ showered upon them. Their required millions go through on the ‘nod’, and if, heaven forbid, one of the favoured few blots their copybook, a friend can always be relied upon to come up with a virtual ‘hagiography’ of the ‘favoured one’, and on the basis of the best form of defence is attack, goes on to tell us it’s all our fault. Thanks for that.

All because we want ‘all’ of our representatives to be culpable for ‘lies and misdemeanours’ on an usual basis. Are the ‘people’ wrong? The air of dismissive distaste and riding roughshod over some of our democratically chosen delegates is despicable and so contrary to democracy. I have to say, as a great-grandmother, I’m not impressed with the behaviour in our present States of Guernsey. It’s at an all-time low and hardly conducive for our students to emulate when learning about ‘fair play’.

Tell us please, PTB, where does all the dictatorial behaviour leave the voter? Some of our chosen candidates pilloried, dismissed as superfluous, overridden in some cases, abusive language in others. I think it leaves some of us virtually disenfranchised and it must surely be unconstitutional. It’s gross manipulation and crass favouritism for cliques and cabals.

So PTB, don’t cynically pretend you’ve bestowed democracy, transparency and inclusivity on both the Assembly and the Guernseyman, it’s cant and hypocrisy, as it will be with the next intake of States members.

But think on PTB, the deputies that have been so vilely treated are ‘old school’. They’ve been well brought up and conduct themselves with dignity and acceptance and usually suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous colleagues with sanguine equanimity, and only try to fight back when they are ‘pushed too far’.

These days, PTB, with the ubiquitous misuse of social media, if you treat the new intake of members with the contempt you’ve treated some of your peers, you will get your ‘comeuppance’ PDQ, or, as the saying goes, ‘what goes around, comes around’.

Eventually.

JILL MARTEL,

8, Courtil Jacques,

Burnt Lane,

St Martin’s,

GY4 6HA.