Guernsey Policy and Economics Group publishes report on Machinery of Government

The Guernsey Policy and Economics Group is a non-for-profit apolitical organisation committed to providing independent research, analysis and advocacy relating to growth strategy, social policy and the economy of Guernsey. On 8 March 2024 the Group published a report The Machinery of Government. The Report drew on a survey which had been conducted among States members. The summary of the report commented that –

Concerns expressed over the last twenty or more years that government by consensus is not working are becoming a clamour. Our government should be able to make increasingly difficult and important decisions readily. No system of government is perfect, but we should be doing better.

The current system means that Deputies have to persuade a great number of their colleagues to vote with them in order to get their policies adopted. We have a chairman of the Policy & Resources Committee (“P&R”) (the so called senior or top committee tasked with the responsibility and leadership of other committees) who is called the Chief Minister. But he has only the same powers as any other Deputy and his committee is powerless to make responsible decisions due to the ability of a Deputy to bring an amendment to undermine any proposal made by that top committee. This results in accusations of no leadership – but this is the result of a system which clearly isn’t working.

This structure is disingenuous to the island population in other ways. Once a Deputy has been voted into the States Assembly he/she has the power to vote in accordance with his/her own views. He/she has no requirement to adhere to the promises in his/her manifesto upon which he/she was chosen by the public. Many don’t adhere to that manifesto either. As things currently stand the public has no reliable representation. The public should be able to vote for an individual who they know will be able to carry out his or her promises once voted in. This is what democracy is all about.

The report proposed a significant change –

Our view is that Guernsey is ready for a different style of government – with a Chief Minister with authority and the power to appoint their own Cabinet of Ministers. Not the current position, where all Deputies are equal. The task of determining policy and resource proposals would be the responsibility of the Chief Minister and the Cabinet. Such a system should introduce collective responsibility and accountability.

The report recommended a reduction in the number of deputies from 39 to 20 and in addition 10 douzeniers (and/or constables) attend the States, but with no vote so as to bring parish views to the Assembly. The Report also recommended a strengthened scrutiny function that should be wholly independent of the States.

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