Column hit nail on the head over money
WELL DONE to Richard Digard in Friday 30 April’s Guernsey Press [‘No Money’ Battle Lines are Drawn]. At last, some common sense. You are so right that the island needs to focus on what we can afford and so many people feel that is the right way to go. I for one lament the retirement of you as an editor, who was always interested in publishing interesting debate by putting both sides of an argument into print. This process has been sadly lacking in recent times, particularly with the newspaper’s delight in giving deposed and departed deputies an opportunity to poke fun and undermine the current government.
I have also been particularly disappointed with the way in which sitting deputies have been allowed a platform in which to undermine their colleagues, who we all know probably have the hardest job of any Assembly since the last war.
I have no objection to a good debate setting out an argument from both sides, in fact I and probably others would find this much more stimulating, and it would probably sell more papers. I hope the new editor reads this and takes note. It would be interesting to know what others think. Is it inappropriate for current deputies to have an exclusive platform on which to air their political views when others do not? It may be the case of course that other deputies are just too busy getting on with the job to have time to draft columns. Either way, I would like to see more effort by our elected representatives put into working together to run this island and less on back bencher interference. Unlike your reader’s letter on Friday 30 April [All Government Decisions Should and Must be Challenged] suggesting that ‘Big Gav’ is doing a great job, I think he is doing both himself an injustice and the public no good whatsoever.
LIZZY WILKINS
lwilkins48@gmail.com