EXPLAINED: Guernsey's new 'famous five' top politicians

Friday 15 December 2023

So, Guernsey has a new Chief Minister... but who will be making up the top team that Jersey's Ministers will have to spend time building relationships and negotiating with? Meet the 'famous five'...

For his second stab at the top job, Deputy Lyndon Trott managed to pull together three of his four picks for the island's new leading Policy and Resources Committee (P&R).

He originally pitched for Deputies Heidi Soulsby, Bob Murray, Jonathan Le Tocqand Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, but the floor of the assembly voted in Deputy John Gollop instead of Deputy Kazantseva-Miller.

Inter-island relations have been known to be frosty, but, as the island's leading committee, made up of a Deputy Chief Minister, Treasury and External Relations Lead, the group will be key allies for Jersey's Council of Ministers.

So, who are they?

Deputy Chief and "friend"

Deputy Heidi Soulsby

Deputy Trott’s assumed new VP – Deputy Chief Minister – is none other than Deputy Heidi Soulsby, somebody Deputy Trott has referred to many times as a "friend".

It’s a return to P&R for Deputy Soulsby, who originally left the top Committee this political term under Deputy Peter Ferbrache due to her opposition to the former Committee’s tax proposals.

She helped lead the Fairer Alternative, a failed attempt to replace the former P&R’s controversial plans to introduce GST, which has been in place in Jersey for many years. She has consistently raised concerns with ‘runaway’ public spending and said in her online blog: "This States is the most spendthrift of the three I've served in when it comes to spending.

"Without fail, it chooses the most expensive model for everything."

The hard worker and "healer"

Deputy Bob Murray

It was always an expectation that Deputy Trott would want to pull in committee members from ‘across the aisle’ and has arguably been successful in cultivating a relatively diverse political group.

Deputy Murray spent little more than a day out of P&R before being voted back in, with Deputy Trott arguing that he is “renowned for hard work and determination”.

Deputy Murray is also expected to pick up where he left off leading the Government Work Plan and digital transformation work, something he said he has made a “reasonable contribution to”. He has called for pragmatism and “healing”.

The GWP has since been pulled and will be revisited under the new Committee.

A States newcomer and self-described man of the people, his manifesto reads: “I have lived through Guernsey’s various prime activities of Horticulture, Tourism, and Finance.

"At the height of double-digit inflation in the ‘seventies, working three jobs to try to build a house – I know how tough things can get when the economy falters.”

"One of the best!"

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq

Deputy Le Tocq also joins Deputy Murray in rising from the ashes of the old P&R. While several members of the original Committee came under intense criticism during the MONC debate, Deputy Le Tocq came away relatively unscathed.

Much has been made of his commitment to external relations and the work he continues to do in developing relationships with Guernsey's closest neighbours.

He has been a deputy for more than a decade, with this being his fifth term in the Assembly.

He has served on Education, and as President of Overseas Aid, Chair of the Public Sector Remuneration Committee, Deputy Minister of Treasury & Resources, Home Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Minister and last term as the first appointed Minster for External Affairs on the Policy and Resources Committee.

He continues to be Guernsey's lead on external relations – something Jersey's Treasury Minister and former External Relations Minister Ian Gorst was exceptionally pleased about.

Congratulations, so pleased that we in Jersey will continue to have you as a partner on the UK and international stage. You are one of the best!
— Deputy Ian Gorst (@Ian_Gorst) December 15, 2023

On X (formerly Twitter), he said that Deputy Le Tocq was "one of the best!"

Father of the house

Deputy John Gollop

Deputy John Gollop

Does this guy need any introduction?

The Father of the House himself has secured a spot on the top Committee after being nominated by Deputy Peter Ferbrache.

A career politician, Deputy Gollop can be seen at literally any event taking place in Guernsey and has sat on more than 15 State committees and authorities since 1997.

He is an avid disability champion and during his speech this week said, as a person with autism, he has a unique understanding of people across the system of government and the community itself.