Another suggestion of working with Jersey would result in loss of identity

His suggestion that we in Guernsey work with Jersey I consider to be unnecessary.

I present a different approach that reflects the future patriotism of real Guernsey people.

n Guernsey’s young people develop a new Guernsey national anthem with modern texts such that everyone can remember the words and music. No thous. It is sung in all schools and gatherings.

All of the wonderful visiting Latvians, Polish and Africans would readily learn it, and hence the whole island would sing away. Politicians lead the way by forming a choir.

n Guernsey States education stops being driven by UK strategists full of inclusiveness where everyone is the same – everyone must attend the same school, nobody fails and nobody succeeds. This strategy follows left-wing parts of the UK where students who are training to be hedge-cutters and those who are mathematicians must attend the same schools so they are seen to be all the same to satisfy inclusiveness. Move away from A-levels that are based in the UK and focus on an internationally-recognised qualification such as the International Baccalaureate.

n Guernsey significantly expands its inventiveness within society. Introduce Saturday classes and the private schools teach how to think and solve problems; the Digital Greenhouse is expanded and tied to this school teaching; all the population is encouraged to start up companies or develop unique products. Retired plumbers, decorators, electricians, who know the problems, all meet and invent new products for their industries. One such start-up of 10 years ago based upon my idea now has 600 staff. Over a decade replace the finance industry with new local inventor companies.

n Guernsey absolutely stops copying the UK. The UK is a declining nation which has lost its identity. On a recent cruise I did a survey of about 30 fellow cruisers from the UK and every single one thought that the British people do no longer know their identity. This would be the same if Guernsey united with Jersey.

n Forget about a tunnel to Jersey – utter rubbish.

n Encourage a Guernsey wind farm to be built, operated and owned by external expertise. Guernsey would negotiate a special price for electricity and excess power would be exported to France at market price. Guernsey would have priority in the access to the electricity.

As for using Northern Ireland uniting with southern Ireland as an example that Mr Digard used – you cannot be serious. My late wife came from Northern Ireland and the people would take up arms rather than be subjected to losing their independence and religion.

Hence I suggest to Mr Digard that any combining of islands is unnecessary and indeed a bad idea.

Guernsey people – rise up and oppose any such loss of our identity at every opportunity.

My ancestors stood alone for centuries in Guernsey. I need a real Guernsey patriotism.

Rex Ferbrache