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Jersey's government has welcomed comments from arch 'Brexiteer' and MP Michael Gove who has underlined the value given to the UK by the Crown Dependencies.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Isle of Man Business News, the former Justice Secretary - who is considered one of the key players in the winning ‘Vote Leave’ campaign - praised the Crown Dependencies for their private sector services and relationship with Her Majesty’s Government.
“I think we can gain an enormous amount from the Crown Dependencies. They provide fantastic base for people in professional and financial services. The good thing is the UK, the British constitution and the British way of working is pragmatic and flexible.
“And so the relationship the Crown Dependencies have with HMG is a model of how flexible approaches and pragmatic ways of working can be to everybody’s benefit,” he commented.
Mr Gove, who sits on the Brexit Select Committee but could see his position as an MP threatened following the upcoming snap General Election, pledged to “reflect upon… the position of the Crown Dependencies” in a post-Brexit context if he can retain his position in Westminister.
On Monday @Ian_Gorst & Chief Ministers of other Crown Dependencies will meet @WalkerWorcester at @DexEUgov to discuss implications of Brexit pic.twitter.com/qteeYT009Q
— Let's Talk Brexit (@letstalkbrexit) April 21, 2017
He added that, while he cannot offer official invites before the committee as he is not chairperson, he would like to see MPs listen to the concerns and recommendations of each government’s representatives.
“I serve on the Brexit select committee and we heard evidence from the First Minister of Gibraltar a while back. And one of the things I will suggest is that we do get representatives from the Crown Dependencies along in order to give some evidence in order to make sure we can make recommendations to government.”
“And I would also suggest that separately at the same time we also invite representatives from the Channel Islands and I will stress the vital importance of making sure that we gain evidence and provide people with the platform to do it,” he added.
He later went on to praise the group of independently governed islands for maintaining the, “…very, very highest standards of compliance in international and other regulation in order to ensure that they are places where business people can operate in an atmosphere of total trust and reassurance”.
His comments were welcomed by the Government of Jersey, who told Express that they were “pleased to note that [Mr Gove] recognises the value of a mutually beneficial relationship between the Crown Dependencies and the United Kingdom, and that the Crown Dependencies operate their financial services industries to the highest standards of international regulation and compliance.”
— Let's Talk Brexit (@letstalkbrexit) April 20, 2017
A spokesperson for the Ministry of External affairs commented: “Jersey has a very positive relationship with Parliamentarians of all parties in the United Kingdom, through the continuing work of the Ministry of External Relations and the Jersey London Office. The Island has also presented evidence relating to the UK’s policies on Brexit to the House of Commons’ Justice Committee and Foreign Affairs Committee, and most recently to the House of Lords EU Committee on the potential impacts of Brexit to Jersey.”
The comments follow Jersey Chief Minister Ian Gorst’s meeting with MP Robin Walker, a Minister in the Department for Exiting the EU, earlier this week. He said that he had been “encouraged by the positive and open dialogue” between the States and UK government over Brexit.
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