Current system has led the States debating chamber to become a flaccid talking shop

She says that our current politicians are basically a good lot and in that I 100% agree with her.

We often hear the term 'worst States ever' bandied about and it is generally rubbish.

Our current deputies, now led by our new P&R president, are an excellent cross-section. Democracy is working well.

We have the intellectuals and the unpronounceables, the professors and the poets, the rolled-up cigs, the vegan sandals and the unusual hats. We have the Rt Hon. Member for economic La La Land, we have our very own Red Robbo, and Guernsey’s version of Norman Tebbit, Maggie’s bovver boy.

Have I missed anyone ?

So, worst States ever? No, not at all, probably one of the best.

Mrs Martel goes on to defend the present system of government and here she conflates the two issues, those issues being the people and the system they have to work in. This is often done and is never helpful, it simply muddies the waters of debate on both.

It is in her defence of the current system that we part company. She likes it, I think its dreadful.

Our current system has led the States debating chamber to become a flaccid talking shop whose record on delivery is atrocious and getting worse.

The system allows and positively encourages all deputies to have a view on all aspects of everything. And never let it be said that lack of knowledge prevents the making of a long speech.

We are frequently told that there is no such thing as Guernsey plc and, very obviously, there isn’t.

But, the business of managing Guernsey is mainly the business of managing its economy. Get that right and so flow the funds for all the social stuff we want.

So, is the comparison with a plc really that far off the mark?

A mid-sized UK business with revenues of £800m., about what the public sector collects, would have an MD and a board of perhaps eight people. It would probably have a shadow board of non-executives of a similar size.

When translated back into the local political arena, that looks very much like executive government.

That cannot come soon enough.

JEREMY RIHOY

Les Beaucamps