My earliest recollection of a local election stretches back to 2004, when I was a young journalist doorstepping politicians with a microphone and notebook in hand. In the intervening twenty years, I’ve watched from home and afar as the local narrative and news agenda changes - but certain topics never seem to go away. The shape of our government. Our system of taxation. Our capital investment programme. Our education system. These same subjects seem to have dominated the agenda inside and outside the States Assembly for several decades.

This election cycle though, things are different. This time we are seeing an increased interest and concern about the future of our young people, fuelled by the fact that younger generations are not necessarily convinced that Guernsey is a sustainable place to build their lives. Candidates currently canvassing for support must be prepared with policies which focus on hanging onto our young people, if they are to be a part of the cohort which leads our island into the next four years.  

We’re all aware that there is an established cycle to raising families here which ebbs and flows as some young people remain on the island and others leave for work or education. When they leave, we cross our fingers and hope that our children, siblings, godchildren, nieces, nephews and grandchildren don’t forget the magic of Guernsey and that they will, one day, will make their way back, bringing their skills and partners and perhaps even children with them, so that the cycle can perpetuate. We need that cycle. We need young people here, with their innovation, energy, skills, optimism and, of course, financial input - in the form of tax take - to support our ageing population.

The worrying trend – and one which came through strongly in our focus groups – is that young people don’t necessarily feel at home in Guernsey. Educated, hard-working, dedicated local people who love this place tell us they don’t dare think of Guernsey as their long-term home because they simply don’t think they will be able to afford the things we all want. A home of their own. A decent standard of living. Access to skills and training opportunities. Diversity of opportunity in their careers.

At the sharper end of the scale, we’re seeing our first established homeless population – something which has always been here if you cared to look, but which is now growing at a pace that can no longer be ignored. It’s not surprising when you consider that our average house price now is just shy of £600,000 compared to £430,000 six years ago.

If Guernsey doesn’t hang onto the next generation of islanders, not only will we be worse off financially, the island risks losing its sense of self. That’s why creating policies to sustain future generations of islanders is the founding reason behind Future Guernsey.

So, what can be done? We cannot wave a magic wand and build hundreds of homes overnight, nor would that be sensible for the swathes of people who have scrimped and saved to buy at the top of the market, who are now repaying mortgages at high interest rates. However, there is much we can do to stimulate specific areas of the housing market to deliver an overall positive effect.

For starters, Future Guernsey’s manifesto includes a package of measures for first-time buyers, including tax breaks for developers and the suspension of document duty on properties costing less than £600,000. These are the type of policies which can be implemented quickly – and they need to be. It’s not just the youngest who are struggling with the cost of housing. Many of the people we spoke to in their 30s and 40s were working second and third jobs, perhaps living in HMOs, perhaps single parents, some living with their own parents - pensioners who were also struggling to get by in unaffordable rental properties. Injecting more starter homes will have a positive overall effect on the whole housing market.

Another measure Future Guernsey outlines in its manifesto is the ‘Welcome home’ package. Under current rules, relocation packages are not available to local skilled returnees. We think this is wrong. Our policy levels the playing field, offering returnees the same benefits as others coming to work here. It’s another policy that could be implemented immediately and make a very real difference.

But what about young people who don’t choose to leave for work or study? They shouldn’t be penalised - in fact, they should be rewarded for contributing their skills and taxes to the island. That’s why we’re proposing the Additional Earned Allowance. This policy would allow under 30s to earn up to £100,000 before paying tax. That’s a saving of £20,000 that would go into the Guernsey Property Savings Allowance, a financial product that would allow first-time buyers to save up to £60,000 towards the purchase of their first property or a rental deposit – tax free.

Too many young people feel pushed out of the island. This trend cannot continue. Come the election, please look out for candidates with a robust housing and fiscal plan to support young people. The next States needs to inspire confidence in young people that they can call Guernsey their long-term home. Because we will all benefit from that.