New committee members selected

Wednesday 14 December 2022

The States Assembly have elected Deputy Chris Blin and Alderney Representative Steve Roberts to positions on the Development & Planning Authority and the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture respectively.

Elections took place during the States meeting today by secret ballots to fill the empty seats created by the departure of Deputy Bob Murray, who automatically resigned his other committee positions after being appointed to the Policy & Resources Committee.

Deputy Blin was the Authority’s preferred choice for the seat and defeated Deputies Yvonne Burford and Christopher Le Tissier, who were separately nominated from the floor of the States, by 20 votes to 17 and 2 votes.

A second position on the DPA was open for election since Deputy Andrew Taylor had publicly resigned from the committee. However, he changed his mind and withdrew his resignation just before the States meeting commenced this morning. 

Pictured: Deputy Victoria Oliver now has a full strength committee after a disruptive few weeks. 

Deputy Blin was proposed and seconded by Deputy Victoria Oliver, President of the DPA, and seconded by Deputy David Mahoney.

Deputy Oliver said whilst several deputies expressed interest in joining the Authority, she thought Deputy Blin would be “an excellent fit” and bring “very different qualities to the DPA”. 

She added that his previous role as a douzenier would “strengthen the link with the douzaine” in planning matters and that his analytical skills would be useful when the Island Development Plan is reviewed. 

Deputy Blin claimed he can manage “all the facts without emotions getting in the way”, and his personal interest in architecture and the built environment make the “difficult brief” one which “excites” him. 

The other candidates made note of the island’s controversial affordable housing policy, GP11, with Deputy Burford saying it is “not fit for purpose in its current form”, and Deputy Le Tissier claiming it is “plainly not working as it was intended to” but adding that he remains unsure of the best remedy to the affordable housing question. 

Deputies Burford and Le Tissier's pitches based on experience, familiarity and continuity within the Authority were not enough to persuade a majority of States members to vote for them.

Pictured: Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen narrowly got her pick for a new Committee member. 

Mr Roberts, ESC’s nominated candidate for the vacant seat on the committee, edged Deputy Aidan Matthews - who also stood from the floor - to the role by just one vote. 

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of ESC, labelled Mr Roberts a “politician of experience who has served his island well”.

She noted his contribution to the debate on the Children’s Law and doubted that any States members wouldn’t have been moved by the stories of his negative childhood experiences: “The depth to his character and life experiences, which are quite different to anyone else on our committee, make him an amazing role model for anyone of our young people.

She also said his membership would allow the Committee to view Alderney challenges and concerns “through the Alderney lens”. 

Mr Roberts claimed whilst his experiences as a child were not positive, it has provided him with “much enthusiasm to help young people”. 

He also threw his “full support” behind the Committees agreed transformation of secondary and post-16 education and added that he would be an “important” link to St. Annes school in his native Alderney.

Deputy Matthews noted that he previously stood for a position on ESC but was unsuccessful. He added that even despite his personal opposing view to the Committees’ agreed model of secondary and post-16 education that “this is not the time for an ‘I told you approach’”.  

However, he was unsuccessful in his endeavours by one vote.

Only Deputy Tina Bury was absent from the States chamber at the time of the elections.