"A big year" for the Bailiwick

Wednesday 01 January 2020

2020 looks to be an important year for Guernsey, with its first island wide voting general election and the 75th anniversary of the Liberation on the way.

The Lieutenant-Governor Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder sat down with Express to discuss his views on the upcoming year and the events he is most looking forward to.

"2020 is a big year because we will inevitably have to face up to the consequences of Brexit," His Excellency began. "It is going to happen, there is that clarity and certainty now and that will be upon us very quickly. Hopefully, as a Bailiwick, we are able to manage that transition well. We've certainly had lots of time to think about it."

Local political change can be expected too, with a lot of potential deputies expected to get their campaigns underway soon for June's general election.

Pictured: His Excellency working alongside his dog, Milo.

"I think it is going to be a challenge for lots of people because it is a new system and it will be a new electoral dynamic," Sir Ian added. "It will potentially surface some of the more contentious issues on the island, so we need to be reasonably careful that we don't let that pull us apart too much as a community.

"This is a general observation and not specific to Guernsey, but politics is becoming a little bit more fractious. We should try quite hard to make sure that we keep it in perspective and don't let ourselves fall out massively over issues which are important, but are not existential."

Although the island will face some challenges over the course of the year, there are a lot of highlights to look forward to.

"Of course, the big highlight is going to be Liberation 2020." he said. "I know a lot of people have put a lot of work in and are continuing to put an awful lot of work into that. I think the plans are exciting and I very much hope we are able to have a huge and enjoyable event which involved everyone in the community."

Pictured: His Excellency is particularly looking forward to this year's Liberation Day celebrations.

 As usual, His Excellency will be involved in a number of local initiatives and celebrations, including the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Guernsey Police which is coming up later this year.

Planning will also continue for the 2021 Island Games, which are to be held in Guernsey.

Sir Ian bade farewell to 2019, which he called an "interesting" year that was "as successful as we could have hoped for".

Pictured top: The Lieutenant-Governor Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder.