Let’s retain the fine tradition of utilising our current resources

I don’t doubt there is some noble intent within the Revive and Thrive initiative, but I didn’t vote for the document. It was a bit of a Trojan horse as one of its chief aims was to test whether the Assembly had the desire to borrow a great deal of money (hundreds of millions of pounds) over the long term. This was mentioned briefly, but was somewhat lost amongst the fine but rather vague rhetoric and colourful imagery.

It wasn’t really needed. There have been many iterations of States master plans over the years, States Strategic Plan, Policy & Resources Plan and then the Future Guernsey Plan. I understand that Revive and Thrive is a reaction to the effect of Covid, but all of these earlier master plans relayed similar aspirations and were assembled with much effort and at considerable cost. Revive and Thrive will be equally resource hungry even before anything tangible actually happens. When you ally existing policies and mechanisms available to the States to the Future Guernsey Plan, then the vehicle for action, albeit with a few tweaks, already existed. True, it is at an embryonic stage and the need for coordination and careful design has been stated. But at the moment, the Revive and Thrive approach reminds me of that art technique where lots of different colours are thrown at the canvas in the hope of creating a masterpiece. Admittedly these ‘works of art’ can sometimes fetch a high price, but equally they can just turn out to be a mess.

For me the early signs are worrying. Many of the ideas being put forward are old ones in new attire; that’s not to say some don’t have promise, but the possible downsides need to be explored thoroughly. Two in particular need a wary eye kept on them. Local recruitment agencies are reporting that out-of-work islanders and those seeking to improve their situation are applying for positions in unprecedented numbers. Before any consideration is given to relaxing population laws, the opportunity to tap into the potential of this group and to upskill the existing workforce more generally, where possible, must be taken. Historically one of Guernsey’s great characteristics was to utilise resources already to hand; let’s retain that fine tradition.

If part of the seafront enhancement programme really means little or no traffic or access to parking in the heart of Town, then retailers take note. I’m sure most of us sign up to better and easier use of the public thoroughfare for all, but there are ways and means of doing that. The debacle of the one-lane experiment must not be forgotten. The amount of commercial vehicles caught up in those long tailbacks was telling, proving the importance of this arterial route. What was gained via this experiment? Nothing, but it came at a cost to the public purse and to businesses. This surely demonstrates to us that the new approach must still encompass pragmatism, proportionality and measured/practical thinking alongside the vision. The island rebuilt after a much more devastating disaster as a result of the Occupation; all these qualities were apparent during that process. Seafront-wise, repair and maintenance should be the priority.

If in reality ‘build back better’ means a substantial increase in the size of the island’s population, an even more heated economy, devaluing jobs already being done by islanders, a greater number of boxes for people to live in located in already overdeveloped areas, a loss of green space from where it can least be spared, an escalating cost of living and large national debt, then the premise needs to be questioned, regardless of good intent. If reviving and thriving can largely be achieved without such consequences, then fine; if not, the drawing board should beckon again because creating a vicious circle is surely not the objective.

The bottom line is always important, but even more so when things are going to be done on hock. There must be great certainty that investing borrowed money (something that many financial sages warn against) will provide a sufficient long-term return so as to cover the capital and interest.

Yes, the Bailiwick has been well led through the crisis, nonetheless the next Assembly will require deputies who are prepared to challenge/test the direction of travel and hold the system to account more generally. We need cohesive government, members that can work together, but not Stepford politics. As the great American writer and political commentator Walter Lippmann said, ‘Where all think alike, no one thinks very much’. It seems inevitable that island-wide voting will herald the emergence of political parties. There is little evidence that jurisdictions with a party system have fared better than Guernsey down the years. What is desirable is a willingness to reach consensus (by and large this has been the case), but a party with a majority could represent a democratic coup if such a thing is possible. The electorate must pay very careful attention to the detail in manifestos during the upcoming election campaign, including party-linked ones.

There should be a difference between seeing opportunities in light of Covid and taking advantage.

LAURIE QUERIPEL

laurie.queripel@gmail.com