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A Guernsey politician who was caught out trolling an Occupation historian using a fake Twitter account should be suspended from all States business for one year without pay, according to a fresh review by a disciplinary panel.
Using the Twitter handle @Radiosutch299, Deputy Chris Le Tissier told Dr Gilly Carr to "leave Guernsey alone" because she is "non local", while also criticising the island’s former Chief Minister with the same retort.
In March following an investigation by Bailiwick Express, a disciplinary panel called for the Home Affairs Committee member to be kicked out of Guernsey’s States Assembly, but their findings were accidentally made public too early.
Since then, he has not participated in committee meetings, but had full voting rights, privileges and public pay.
The first-time politician brought an appeal on the grounds of alleged bias, irregularities in the panel hearing, the timing of the decision’s announcement and the sanction.
Pictured: A recoverd screenshot linking Deputy Le Tissier to the Twitter account, which was uncovered by Express.
Yesterday, a new investigation panel dismissed the allegations of bias, saying its findings were made “with an open mind”, but described the premature publication of the report as an “unfortunate” mistake.
Despite this, they reached a different conclusion on sanction – rather than being forced out of political life altogether, they said he should only be suspended for six months.
Their conclusion overrides the first.
"[Deputy Le Tissier’s] actions in making disparaging and offensive remarks against individuals and groups of people broke the trust which the public placed in him. This was a breach of his duty to act in accordance with the public trust placed in him as a member of the States,” the panel said.
The panel added: "Deputy Le Tissier’s comments seeking to distinguish between the validity of opinions held by people who are and who are not ‘local’ might legitimately undermine the public's confidence in his objectivity.
"The Code requires all Members to act with objectivity. The relevance of this to Deputy Le Tissier, as a member of the Committee for Home Affairs whose responsibilities include the island’s population management regime, is obvious."
This morning, the Guernsey Party - of which Deputy Le Tissier was a member - said in a statement: “In light of recent developments Deputy Chris Le Tissier has tendered his resignation from The Guernsey Party and this has been accepted with immediate effect."
Deputy Le Tissier’s 'anonymous' Twitter trolling was first uncovered by Express. The Guernsey team spoke about their investigation in a previous edition of the Bailiwick Podcast...
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