On this page you can find my views on a wide range of subjects, however if you have any comments or questions, please contact me – I would be pleased to hear from you.

(See also the Centre for Energy, Nature, Tourism, Research and the Environment under the Tourism section.)

In my 2012 manifesto I said that if we moved to Island Wide Voting, we would need to be careful to retain parish links with the States. Then, as now, deputies are elected to serve the whole island and, if elected, I would be available to all islanders to help in any way I can. However, as a resident of the West for the last 30 or so years, I would also make myself available to the Douzaines of any of the four Western parishes, as needed, to attend meetings to discuss States business.

We need to invest in digital connectivity to support personal and business needs, including innovative and flexible ways of working post-Covid

A population policy must be flexible enough to accommodate the island’s need of skilled people such as medical consultants, nurses, engineers and teachers. It must also welcome our valuable guest workers who help keep the hospitality and tourism industries running. At the same time it needs to recognise that Guernsey has a finite amount of space and that the island is very built-up for its tiny size. I support policies which seek to keep the overall population numbers broadly stable whilst allowing the flexibility mentioned above.

There will always be upward pressures on health costs, so it is more important than ever to seek ways of preventing ill health, both physical and mental, wherever possible. We need to build on the positive work done this term and address barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare. This includes restructuring primary care which will help address the issue of some people not receiving care because of the cost of GP appointments. Covid has shown that we can do things differently. I also believe that we need to endeavour to create personal resilience in our community which can sometimes seem to be eroded by the culture and pressures of modern day life.

I also believe it is important that those who work in caring or nursing roles are fairly rewarded for the work that they do.

I consider that the management of the pandemic by our Public Health Department and the Civil Contingencies Authority has been well handled. With hindsight there will always be things that could have been done better or differently but the outcome, at the time of writing in early September, of some 17 weeks’ Covid-free is quite remarkable. There are differing opinions on where we should go from here. One thing is clear: the world as it existed before Covid-19 does not exist at present and is unlikely to do so for some time. The question for us to answer now is “which set of restrictions do we want to live with?” There are broadly two main options: Tight borders, with very little or no Covid in circulation and the population able to live completely normal lives within the borders, or looser borders, an ongoing level of Covid within the community, and restrictions such as masks in some contexts, some social distancing measures and a ban on very large gatherings. This option inevitably carries the risk of school closures and full lockdown if the virus gets out of hand. I remain in favour of the former option. I’m painfully aware of the desire for people to visit loved ones elsewhere and the impact on parts of the tourism industry, but I feel that remaining Covid-free serves the majority best. I am aware that if Covid was to start circulating again many older and otherwise physically vulnerable people would feel the need to put themselves under self-imposed house arrest. Perhaps up to a third of our population are either over 60 or living with a heath condition that makes them more vulnerable to the effects of the virus. It is not easy either way, but we are looked on with envy by many and are blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

How people experienced lockdown varied widely depending on people’s individual circumstances. However many people felt that some of the changes were things they wanted to hold on to once life started to return to normal. The strong community that lead to the #Guernsey Together spirit, was nothing new for us. Guernsey people are overwhelmingly caring and generous. But other things, such as quieter roads and more people taking up walking and cycling showed how things could be different.

However, there were others for whom the experience brought job losses and other mental and physical stresses and we need to ensure they are not left behind as we plan our recovery.

I’m a strong supporter of the arts, which are a vital part of any community. Government has a role to play in supporting art and culture in our island.

Sports and activity in general are vital to the health and wellbeing of all in our community and have a big role to play in physical and mental wellbeing. It is important that the States supports this, especially as so much work is done by volunteers, but also because it will pay dividends in reduced healthcare costs.

There is an amazing amount of work done by charities in our island, and it’s not a stretch to say we couldn’t function without them. Thousands of volunteers give up their time to help others. The States has a role to play in supporting and facilitating the work of these organisations, both financially and through necessary legislative changes.

This is currently a live topic, with much interest from many members of our community and for that reason I support the States investigating it as part of the Justice Review (see below) to enable all evidence to be taken into account. There would seem to be strong arguments for medicinal use, and I seriously question the sense in criminalising people for possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use. I will listen with an open mind to all the arguments.

I support the terms of the Sursis Motivé brought to the Justice Review presented by the Committee for Home Affairs in July of this year.

I support the vision of the Youth Commission that the Bailiwick should be a place where all children and young people are able to reach their potential. Children and young people need to be fully considered in all that the States does. Growing up in the early twenty-first century provides amazing new opportunities but also new challenges for young people and it is vital that the downsides of the internet age which can lead to cyber bullying and mental health issues are mitigated.

I have set out my views on specific subjects. It is unlikely that many people will agree with every single thing I write here but that is no doubt true of every candidate. What I do promise however is that I will always base my views on evidence, research and the views of the community. I also understand that sometimes what the evidence might show is right for another country might not be right for Guernsey and a balance must be struck.