Deputy silent on claims she refuses to be in same room as colleague

Friday 20 August 2021

One of the politicians in charge of Guernsey's education system has refused to quash or explain allegations that she dials in to committee meetings remotely whenever one of her colleagues is in the room.

It has been claimed publicly by Deputy Gavin St Pier that Deputy Sue Aldwell refuses to be in the same room as fellow Education, Sport & Culture Committee Member Deputy Andy Cameron.

Attempts to get Deputy Aldwell to comment on the claims have been unsuccessful, with a spokesperson for ESC saying on her behalf that: “The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture is not going to comment on internal Committee affairs via the media.”

It was added by the spokesperson that Deputy Aldwell "won’t be commenting further than that".

Deputy Cameron has contested his committee's preferred educational model, voicing the concerns of teachers he has spoken to and offering the States an alternative way forward. 

Deputy Cameron's amendment for 11-16 schools at St Sampson's and Les Beaucamps, plus another 11-16 attached to a sixth form centre at Les Varendes, was downed in the States by 22 votes to 17 last month. The Assembly ran out of time to debate Education's proposals for three 11-16's and a separate sixth form college, which will debated instead in September. 

Pictured: It has not been possible to reach Deputy Cameron by phone either since his personal statement regarding his Code of Conduct was sent to media this week by an ESC spokesperson. 

Since that debate, Deputy Cameron has been cautioned by the Code of Conduct Panel for sharing ESC engagement notes with 13 other deputies. This was in breach of the Code of Conduct governing the behaviour of States' members.

The notes he distributed from an ESC meeting with Grammar School & Sixth Form Centre teachers - who reportedly supported their publication - appeared to undermine ESC's public comments about staff confidence in the committee's £43.5m proposals. 

Allegations have since come to light that Deputy Aldwell - who put her name to ESC's code of conduct complaint against Deputy Cameron - refuses to be in the same room as him.

She has not responded personally to those claims. It is understood that Deputy Cameron leaves the room whenever ESC discusses its proposed school model, which he does not support, but is present for all other items on the agenda at committee meetings.

Deputy Aldwell was a Torteval Constable for five years before her election to the States in October 2020, where she was second-best performing first-time candidate, coming in 10th with 9,881 votes.