Recent claims that Alderney residents are calling for their own version of Brexit have been downplayed – with the island’s senior politician saying residents “remain grateful for support from Guernsey”.
Dubbed ‘Aexit’, if it were to happen, a Brexit-style situation would see Alderney sever ties with Guernsey.
This would affect the smaller island’s financial position as Guernsey is responsible for policing, health and social care, education, the airport, and other matters, under the 1948 Agreement.
After a podcast discussing this was published over the weekend, Policy and Finance Chair Jeannie Cameron has now confirmed that she does not believe a majority of people want ‘Aexit’ and that she has simply “observed some recent signage in some places on the island”.
“I did not say that Alderney was calling for Aexit,” she said.
“I mentioned that I had observed some recent signage in some places on the island.
“I made clear that I did not believe that this was a majority view or was the view of the States of Alderney. I said clearly that Alderney was very grateful for support from Guernsey.
“My main point was that for many reasons, Alderney was feeling let down by Guernsey in terms of the runway refurbishment delays; the declining air services and the value of the PSO; and the non-transparency of financial accounts between the islands, and that perhaps this is what was fuelling the sentiment of some on the island.”
Ms Cameron’s headline quote that there are signs promoting ‘Aexit’ being displayed in Alderney, prompted numerous comments across social media over the weekend – with former States Member Bill Walden writing that he does not believe a majority of people would want this.
‘Alderney should just say: thank you’
Guernsey Deputy Neil Inder also wrote his view on Facebook, describing any notion of ‘Aexit’ as “silly” and “hyperbolic”.
Listing a series of benefits that Alderney got from “the Guernsey taxpayer”, Deputy Inder rubbished any idea that the smaller island could declare independence as “nonsense”.
“Maybe Alderney should just say ‘thank you’,” he added.
He told Express that having spoken with some people in Alderney he does not believe it is a real issue, but he stands by what he wrote on Facebook, including that “Alderney should be a lot more grateful to Guernsey”.
Alderney/Guernsey relationship approaching its ‘Oak anniversary’
Prior to the Second World War, Alderney and Guernsey were linked geographically as part of the Bailiwick, but not politically.
The relationship is understood to have been similar to the way the relationship between Sark and Guernsey existed until recently with little politically linking the islands, prior to Guernsey’s involvement in staffing Sark School starting this month.
Despite that recent intervention, Sark remains entirely financially and politically independent, with the island paying the salary of the teaching staff who have been seconded from Guernsey.
Other shared services including health care provided from Guernsey is paid for by Sark residents at the point of use.
While all of the islands were occupied during the war, Sark residents stayed in their own homes, while nearly all of Alderney was evacuated and the island taken over by the German forces.
They built labour camps in Alderney, with claims that more than 1,000 people perished within them.
When the first residents returned in December 1945 they found badly damaged properties at Braye Harbour, and the island had been stripped of trees and anything else that could have been used as fuel.
As the island sought to recover from the lasting impact of the occupation, the 1948 Agreement was signed.
It set out the ‘administrative, financial, and operational duties’ that Guernsey manages for Alderney – in return for Alderney residents paying income tax to Guernsey.
The States of Alderney collects other taxes such as property, document, and fuel duties.
The 1948 Agreement remains the binding contract between the two islands today, but there have been recent calls for it to be reviewed.
