Guernsey’s P&R President has been ruffling feathers at a Jersey Chamber of Commerce lunch, where she was asked if she’s eligible to stand in the island’s upcoming election.
The island’s first female Policy and Resources President was invited to speak to members of Jersey’s business community about inter-island collaboration.
Those at the Chamber lunch appeared impressed with Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez, who told them she doesn’t own a watch, has never worked in finance, and that she thinks Guernsey cows are “just a tiny bit cuter” than their Jersey counterparts.
If that wasn’t enough of a risk to inter-island diplomacy, she also confessed to a touch-rugby rivalry – which some present felt was redeemed by a de Sausmarez family tradition of sponsoring animals at Jersey Zoo.
Deputy de Sausmarez also invited anyone to come forward who knows why Jersey fishermen wear oilskins rather than jerseys, while in Guernsey, the standard uniform is, of course, a guernsey.
Discussing the issue of inter-island collaboration, the islands are “always at pains” to work together, the Deputy said, though she admitted that previous governments had “not excelled necessarily at collaboration”, adding that “it was becoming a real hindrance”.
Businesses in both islands, including in finance, shared many of the same challenges, she said, with housing, transport, connectivity, education and economic growth the top concerns in Guernsey, and Jersey facing “high labour costs, labour expenses and skills shortages”.
Leaving the lunch, some attendees could be heard praising Deputy de Sausmarez for speaking like “a normal person” – and, as she finished her Q&A, Jersey Chamber’s Chief Executive Murray Norton asked her: “Are you eligible for election here in Jersey?”
Deputy de Sausmarez’s visit to Jersey was punctuated by a visit to the States Assembly, where she caught the debate on the abortion law: States Members allowed terminations on request up to almost 22 weeks of pregnancy.
“I really enjoyed being in the public gallery, and, actually, it was a debate that I really thought was an important one,” she said.
