Channel Islands Alliance Gains Support But Guernsey Balks At Formal Federation

Robert Lee, Tax-news.com, London

18 October 2000

Last week Tax-news.com reported that Jersey is in favour of stronger alliance with both Guernsey and the Isle of Man. These calls for a Channel Islands alliance have received top-level backing in Guernsey and Jersey. At an Institute of Directors Conference last week, an overwhelming majority of delegates lent their support to the idea of a federation of the islands.

Jersey's Finance and Economics Committee president Senator Frank Walker is a strong advocate of closer ties. He said this week: 'A federation of some sort is the logical conclusion of all those calls we have heard recently for ever-closer cooperation between the islands. We are moving and working much more closely together and the idea of some kind of federation has real advantages.'

Senator Walker went on to say: 'Creating a federation would be a major political change and would involve dealing with the legacy of centuries of history and tradition. Knowing the reluctance of politicians to embrace change, I do wonder how it could be accomplished. But the challenge has been laid down to me that, as a senior politician, I should be working to get things done, not just accepting that these things are difficult. I accept that challenge, and I am going to do something about it. Although the islands are cooperating in an unprecedented manner, I cannot remember that we have ever sat down together to see how that cooperation can be seriously thought through. We need to see how we can shape that cooperation to something practical, such as pooling resources and contracting-out some of the services we require and sharing those services.'

To follow up his ideas, Senator Walker plans to write to his senior political colleagues in Jersey and to Laurie Morgan, Guernsey's Advisory and Finance president, requesting a meeting to explore how to move on down the road to political cooperation. Deputy Morgan is in clear support of the idea of closer cooperation emanating from Jersey, but balks at the suggestion of a federation in the near future. He said: 'I fully endorse and support what Senator Walker has said. Cooperation is at an all-time high, but I do not believe that a federation is really up for consideration at the present time. I don’t think the people of either Bailiwick are ready for this at the moment. It may come at some time in the future but I suspect that would be only at a time when the people of the islands really had their backs to the wall.'

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