Guernsey planning for the impact of "inevitable" UK general election

Wednesday 25 September 2019

A General Election in the UK new seems inevitable, Deputy Gavin St Pier told the States this morning, as he reflected on the "unprecedented" political environment and how it could affect Guernsey.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to press on with his plans for Brexit despite a devastating ruling by Britain’s highest court that his suspension of Parliament was unlawful.

"The political system in the UK is unprecedented, turbulent, uncertain and its institutions are clearly highly stressed," said Deputy St Pier. "Not in any of our lifetimes have so many been talking about the complexities and nuances in politics."

Guernsey will be represented at upcoming UK party conferences ahead of what P&R sees as an almost inevitable general election. 

They are starting work investigating the impacts that a potential change in the constitution of the UK Government could have on the island. 

Following the legal bombshell, Commons Speaker John Bercow announced that MPs would return to Westminster today with the House sitting at 11.30am.The ruling prompted immediate demands from opposition for Mr Johnson to quit amid claims his position had become untenable. Downing Street insisted there was no question of Mr Johnson – who was in New York for the UN General Assembly when the result was announced – stepping aside.

A No 10 source said: “The PM will not resign following the judgment.”While the Prime Minister, who will fly back to the UK overnight, said the return of MPs would go ahead, he made clear his unhappiness with the court’s “unusual judgment".

“I strongly disagree with this decision of the Supreme Court,” he told reporters. “I have the utmost respect for our judiciary, I don’t think this was the right decision, I think that the prorogation has been used for centuries without this kind of challenge. “I think the most important thing is we get on and deliver Brexit on October 31, and clearly the claimants in this case are determined to frustrate that and to stop that."