Christopher Le Tissier: ‘You can’t change the system overnight’

My first and most fondly held reflection is the sense of honour I feel at having been able to serve as a deputy, and the intense gratitude towards the voters who believed that I would be able, in some small way, to try to improve our little piece of the world.

I feel that it is incumbent on me to debunk a few of the myths. One of the most frequent questions I was asked on being elected was ‘Where do you park and is it free?’ Clearly a concern for anyone who knows what it’s like running a bit late to get a 10-hour space at the Salerie. Deputies have parking for meeting days only, but we have to pay for it. So no deputy is running out at lunchtime to change their clock. We also don’t get Aurigny discounts, or free food and drink. Though there is a vending machine, and we do get free water. So that’s about as glamorous as it gets.

While on the subject of glamour, the States Chamber is a brilliant, historic space, but it’s not the most comfortable and the acoustics are so poor that many deputies now wear headphones to follow the debate, or maybe they are listening to Taylor Swift – I wouldn’t like to say for certain.

Though I’m proud of the work I’ve done as a deputy, it does not come without some frustrations. One of the most persistent of these has been the States’ inability to make timely decisions. Take Sunday trading, for example. How many years did that take? Yet when the decision was finally made, the world didn’t end. Observing that process was part of what prompted me to stand for election. I believed decisions could, and should, be made more quickly. For those considering being candidates at the election, brace yourselves. Government moves slowly. Committees can take years to produce policy letters. Just look at how many are being tabled now, in the final stretch of this Assembly. Don’t be disheartened by it.

Housing is arguably the most pressing issue we face, and progress has been disappointingly minimal. In four years, we’ve done little to actually house our people. Yes, we agreed to form a Housing Committee but that, in my opinion, is just more can-kicking. Where are the bold ideas? The States owns land. We have access to an unused portion of the £300m. loan. At the last meeting, we approved changes to the Island Development Plan, including the option for ‘strategically essential development’. Surely housing qualifies? With these three ingredients – land, capital and flexibility – we should be building modular housing on States land now: small one- and two-bedroom homes for rent or purchase or rent-to-buy, excluding speculators and buy-to-let landlords. To expedite construction, we may need to bring in specialist teams. And in the short term, why not allow charity-run sleeping pods, again on States land? With a little blue-sky thinking, we could make real progress.

As a first-time deputy, another challenge I found was that of accountability, or the lack of it. Deputies are held responsible for outcomes based on what seems like flawed or incomplete information. People only need to consider the 30-metre-wide Alderney runway myth, or the unexplained leap in Pillar Two tax revenue from £10m. a year to, just weeks later, £30m. a year.

Meanwhile, some far-reaching and unpopular decisions are made, seemingly without political consultation. Two examples: the planned removal of the diving board at La Vallette, and the pigeon ban, both announced without deputies being informed. In each case, we learned about it through the Guernsey Press. While I initially found this sort of thing to be quite shocking, as the term has progressed it seems to be part and parcel of being a deputy. Which is not to say that I think it is right.

Recently, a planning application for flats on the High Street was refused. When I contacted the Development & Planning Authority, they knew nothing about it. Why? Because, early in the term, decision-making powers were delegated entirely to staff. That may be practical in some cases such as plastic windows, but as a deputy and as a voter I would expect to see the political oversight that is essential especially for larger or sensitive developments.

My conclusion is that committees and deputies need to give clear advice to the unelected delegates as to what is expected of them and how and when they need to report back to the committees for political advice and oversight before taking decisions that are controversial or might really upset the public.

As a first-time deputy, people have asked me throughout this term if there is anything they should consider before standing. To those considering it, I would say challenge what you’re told, do your own research, build alliances with like-minded colleagues. The consensus system is on life support, as it is becoming globally, but it’s not beyond saving.

Despite the challenges, I’ve genuinely enjoyed my time in the States, warts and all. The court staff have been consistently helpful and professional, and many fellow deputies have been a pleasure to work alongside. The most important thing to remember is that you won’t change the system overnight. I thought I could. The States and civil service mechanism is like a supertanker – it takes time to change course. That said, if you don’t challenge the direction, nothing will ever change. It’s worth also remembering, whether you are thinking of standing or not, that just because someone holds a different political belief or thinks there is a different way to do something from you they are not the devil incarnate. Seeing the world, or even just our tiny part of it, in such binary terms as ‘them and us’ is what we must constantly challenge.