One of the few people with political experience in both Alderney and Guernsey has said the two islands need “a clear plan for working on economic development”.
Alderney States Member Alex Snowdon was responding to recent claims that some people in Alderney are calling for the Bailiwick’s version of Brexit – which he said would be the wrong move.
“Aexit would, in my view, risk causing far more damage than good for Alderney,” he wrote for Express.
“It would be our own version of Brexit – a decision that could put unnecessary barriers between Alderney and Guernsey, despite the close relationships, cooperation and shared services that have been built up over generations.”
Mr Snowdon – who is also one of Alderney’s two representatives in the States of Deliberation in Guernsey – said rather than break the islands’ existing relationship, “we should be fixing what isn’t working, not walking away from what does”.
Claims around ‘Aexit’ were first made over the weekend when a podcast with Policy and Finance Chair Jeannie Cameron was published, in which she said she had seen some posters calling for independence displayed in Alderney.
Ms Cameron has since told Express that: “I did not say that Alderney was calling for Aexit”.
Her main point was rather 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”.
Mr Snowdon agrees that “not everything is easy” between the islands, but he doesn’t believe “Alderney can actually cut itself fully away from Guernsey when healthcare and education are so important and essential for our island community of 2,000 people”.
“We pay our taxes and social security contributions to Guernsey in return for transferred services, and that relationship provides essential services to people living in Alderney,” he explained.
“I also don’t believe that, if we did break away, Jersey would simply rock up and take over any new relationships.”
The relationship between Guernsey and Alderney was formalised in 1948, as the islands sought to recover from the lasting impact of the occupation.
The ‘1948 Agreement’ 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.
It will likely be considered this week as part of the Tax Reform debate with Alderney represented by Mr Snowdon and Edward Hill during the discussions in Guernsey.
