62% of islanders believe that there are too many competing opinions in the States and 39% don’t believe that their views are well-represented in government.

The findings come as part of the latest wave of research from Future Guernsey – the policy led political movement, which has worked together with the community to create a manifesto addressing islanders’ most pressing areas of concern. As the candidate nomination deadline creeps closer, the organisation is calling for candidates to adopt Future Guernsey’s manifesto, which offers a suite of policies on the topics of health, education, the economy, tax policy, climate transition, housing and delivery.

Future Guernsey Chair, John Hardie says,

“The fact that six in ten islanders feel there are too many competing opinions in the States clearly leads to a conversation as to whether the island’s system of government is working.

“The topic of electoral reform is never far away from public debate and is one we expect to see featured in candidate manifestos. Future Guernsey supports the need to review Guernsey’s electoral system and system of government, and it’s why our manifesto outlines a plan to establish an independent commission to do so, meaning it wouldn’t impact on the day-to-day business of the States.

“We’re keenly aware of the risk that the next four years will be spent tinkering with the system, when the direction from across the community is that our elected representatives should be focussed on delivering policy. That’s one of the many reasons we created this manifesto. If representatives enter the house with a single position on issues, rather than up to thirty eight different positions, the next States Assembly will be able to take positive and decisive steps much more quickly.

Research results reinforce the worrying trend of disengaged islanders

Throughout their research findings, Future Guernsey has identified a strong theme clearly showing pockets of society who have become disengaged from local politics. These latest results point again to that trend, which is seen most markedly in 16-to-29 year-olds.

When asked if they feel that their views are well-represented in the States, 42% of 16-to-29 year-olds said they neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement. A third (33%) of 30– 44-year-olds said the same. In the over 65s, the figure who could not give an answer dropped to just 10%.

The results chime with earlier findings released by Future Guernsey which showed that 40% of 16–29-year-olds and 43% of 30–44-year-olds couldn’t give an opinion when asked if they felt well-informed about politics in Guernsey. Females were also far less likely to feel wellinformed, with less than half (44%) feeling informed about local politics, compared with 62% of men.

Future Guernsey Chief Executive, Lindsey Freeman says,

“Time and again, our research findings have shown that large pockets of our society have become disengaged from local politics, most markedly islanders under the age of 44 and women. This chimes with the fact we have seen incredibly disappointing uptake in the number of people choosing to register on the electoral roll this time - and the figures are particularly stark in these very same demographics.

“Our government has clearly lost the will of the electorate. It’s vital this lack of engagement is addressed and the next States Assembly takes action on pressing topics - quickly and decisively - to gain back the trust and will of islanders. That’s why we are urging candidates to listen to needs of the community by adopting our manifesto, meaning they can hit the ground running as soon as they are elected.”

Future Guernsey’s manifesto can be found at: www.futureguernsey.gg