Deputies weigh up bids for P&R as Haley Camp seeks a senior committee role, while Helyar says he will not return.
A potential shake-up at the heart of P&R is gathering momentum, with new interest in a senior committee role playing out alongside firm refusals from others.
The push centres on P&R’s vacancy ahead of a likely election at the next States meeting on 20 May, after Deputy Gavin St Pier announced his intention to resign and seek re-election following his re-arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office and an offence under the 1948 Reform Law.. The announcement also followed a previous arrest on suspicion of harassment.
In the same period, Misryoum understands that several deputies have been weighing their options. Deputy Haley Camp, newly speaking out, said she wants to join the senior committee and is prepared to challenge Deputy St Pier in the election.
Camp said she believes she is “the right person for the job” at this time, framing her pitch around bringing a “clean slate” and avoiding what she described as “baggage” linked to past decisions or ongoing questions.. She also argued that new faces at the centre of government are needed to focus on the “basics” and on meaningful, measurable reform.
Insight: This kind of contest tends to be as much about credibility and direction as it is about individual roles. When the centre of government is unsettled, voters often look for stability and clarity about what changes first.
P&R president Lindsay de Sausmarez has not yet said whether she will nominate Deputy St Pier, after indicating the committee supports his resignation decision.. She is also expected to have concerns about losing him ahead of a landmark tax and spending debate in July, which he was thought to be leading.
Deputy Camp suggested Deputy St Pier may be assuming he already has enough backing to return, despite what she called for in any democratic process: a genuine choice. She also pointed to what she said the Assembly did not do earlier in the term.
Meanwhile, Deputy Peter Helyar, who led proposals for the GST-plus tax package in the previous States term, ruled himself out of seeking a seat on P&R later this month.. He said it was not the right group to deliver the major civil service and government reform he believes is needed to get Guernsey back on track.
Insight: Helyar’s refusal underlines that not every senior political figure sees P&R as the best vehicle for reform. That matters because committee membership can shape which reforms gain traction and which stall.
Deputy Jayne Ozanne said she is interested in the vacancy, but only if the committee backs a preferred candidate.. She linked her concern to how these events may be perceived outside the island, stressing the need to protect Guernsey’s international standing and credibility amid broader geopolitical uncertainty.
Marc Laine, meanwhile, is understood to be keen to join P&R and is already appointed as its IT adviser.. He is believed to have supporters for full membership, though he would likely be reluctant to take the treasury role, which could fall to Deputy Charles Parkinson if Deputy St Pier loses his seat.. Scrutiny president Andy Sloan ruled out standing, and criticised the decision to resign and seek a mandate, saying such issues are for due process rather than a political vote.
Insight: With multiple deputies signalling different red lines, the election may end up as much about public confidence in institutions as it is about committee seats. How P&R navigates nominations and competing motivations could set the tone for reform debates ahead of July.