It’s leader, Deputy Simon Vermeulen, who took over from founder Deputy Mark Helyar after he resigned because his position on GST were at odds with that of the party, has now told Express he plans to run as an independent at the next election.  

“I am not considering joining another party in the next election,” he said, remarking that one of the worst moments during this political term was “seeing GST split the Guernsey Party, with members resigning”. 

The only other elected member of the party is Deputy John Dyke, who didn’t respond to questions from Express. 

GST tore the party apart. When it launched in August 2020 it had a statement that party members would oppose GST as a "non-progressive tax". Come 2022, Deputy Helyar resigned first but was shortly followed by Deputies Bob Murray and Nick Moakes after coming to the view that GST could be progressive if introduced with mitigations, such as a reduction in income tax and higher allowances.  

The party lost another elected member the year before, with Deputy Liam McKenna deciding to go independent but for the opposite reason, after also being unable to support GST. 

Express didn’t hear from Deputies Helyar or Murray, but Deputy Moakes said he will be on the ballot in 2025 and “most likely” as an independent.  

Meanwhile, Deputy Chris Le Tissier, who was elected under the party banner but resigned days before he was suspended from the States for misconduct, hasn’t decided if he’ll stand again but said he hasn’t considered whether to go with a party or not. He was opposed to GST, however. 

Pictured: The Guernsey Party in its heyday. 

When the Guernsey Partnership of Independents disbanded in September 2021 just over a year after it launched, its mantra of not being a political party that wasn’t “right or left wing” first evidenced the fragility of quasi-parties in a consensus government. 

Deputy Gavin St Pier, its figurehead, renamed it Future Guernsey months later pledging that it would be a proper political party based on policy. But little, if anything, has been heard since. It too remains on the party register and filed accounts for last year. 

But several who stood under the Partnership banner have now said if they do run in 2025 it will be as an independent, including Deputies Heidi Soulsby and Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, while others are undecided and a few aren't standing. 

Deputy St Pier said he hadn’t decided on whether to run for a fourth consecutive term or not but appears to remain warm to the concept of party politics with a firm policy agenda.  

“There has to be a more effective way to do politics.  Ideally the electorate should be able to choose who to vote for based on a clear, coherent policy platform, rather than having a lottery of individuals,” he said.  

But some newcomers to the States who stood as independents see little reason to change tack. 

Deputy Adrian Gabriel said that even with some benefits to political groupings “at the moment I don’t feel that it is correct for Guernsey.  

“On a personal note, I would always want to be recognised by voters for my efforts, values and stance and to be elected on those rather than a party manifesto. If I was to succeed or fail at election then it should be on my own merits and values, and not that of a party.” 

Deputy Aidan Matthews was equally critical. “There are no viable party platforms in Guernsey at the moment. If that remains the case, I will stay independent,” he said. 

“It would take a tremendous effort to create a party with popular support and build a policy platform that all its members could get behind.” 

Others did say they were open to the idea of new parties. Deputy John Gollop said he would likely stand again as an independent, but as a lifelong member of the Green Party wouldn’t be opposed to new ventures. 

Pictured: The Partnership launched to professionalised fanfare. 

“I would be tempted in Guernsey to set up my own radical younger demographic orientated party that combined reformist common sense with greater social spending, business infrastructure investment, environmental transformation, energy and education choice, small enterprise support and intervention, transport enabler policies, fundamental tax reform, and community investment,” he said.   

“I don't think we have quite the right policy mix at the moment personally speaking.” 

Meanwhile, Deputy Rob Prow said he would “be looking closely at emerging parties” despite being unsure if he will run again and preferring to stay as an independent. 

“If I ever stand again, I would stand as an independent. However, I will always collaborate with other likeminded deputies, but not along party lines. I am particularly not interested in parties that emerged in Guernsey that are not grass roots.” 

He was strongly critical of the Guernsey Partnership of Independents and some of its members, who he accused of hypocrisy and operating in a cloak and dagger way since disbanding.  

“The Guernsey Party of Independents was in my view not a positive step for Guernsey politics. That grouping was formed and registered on a party basis and successful members were elected on a joint manifesto and party hustings,” Deputy Prow said. 

Pictured: Deputy Rob Prow was highly critical of the Partnership.

“The party then effectively collapsed early in the term. However, it continued to appear to some, to operate much in the way a party would, but without the transparency expected, evidenced by voting patterns and seating choices. Also, in my view their coordinated approach was partly responsible for the so-called ‘febrile and toxic’ atmosphere in the States, which some founder party members blamed on those they vigorously challenged.  

“I was amazed this did not receive more scrutiny from the media.  I would suggest the party was created prior to the 2016 election by existing States members as a vehicle to gain control over P&R and other major committees, which in fairness they were fully entitled to do. For the avoidance of doubt, I have respect for some of the party members as very good deputies, who probably left for good reason.” 

History of groups and parties 

The first to emerge in Guernsey was Charter 2018, which formed in February 2018 and was made up of 11 deputies who said they had concerns about the direction and priorities of the States. Six of the 11 remain in the States today and five of them are presidents of committees: Deputies Peter Ferbrache, Andrea Dudley-Owen, Carl Meerveld, Rob Prow and Neil Inder. 

The Islanders’ Association was launched a few weeks later and soon included several members of Charter 2018, including Deputies Ferbrache and Meerveld. But in November 2018, Deputy Ferbrache left the Islanders’ Association and formed a new group, the 2020 Association. 

None of these groups fielded candidates at the last general election, but three other groups did – the Guernsey Partnership of Independents, the Guernsey Party and the Alliance Party, all of which had to be registered as parties under legislation introduced for the island’s first full island-wide election. 

The Guernsey Partnership of Independents had 10 candidates elected out of 21 candidates before disbanding just over a year after launch: Deputies St. Pier, Jonathan Le Tocq, Lindsay De Sausmarez, Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, Tina Bury, Al Brouard, Yvonne Burford, Lyndon Trott, Heidi Soulsby and Steve Falla. 

It was later renamed Future Guernsey, with Deputy St Pier its only member.  

The Guernsey Party fielded eight candidates on the ballot paper and saw six elected, but by January 2023 it was reduced to a two-man band.  

The Alliance Party was wound up after failing to get a single of its 11 candidates elected, with its members erupting into a row which played out in the media after polling day.