Time for action on closer ties

That more must be done to share resources and reduce costs is a common refrain heard from senior figures in both bailiwicks. You could, in fact, easily lose count of the number of politicians who have proclaimed that a strengthened relationship would yield savings for taxpayers in both islands.

Results, sadly, have not always lived up to the rhetoric. Indeed, it would be fair to say that inter-island relations have in the past – distant and not so very distant – been less than cordial when coloured by sporting rivalry or more serious issues, such as fishing rights.

That said, there have been recent successes, such as the appointment of a joint competition regulator, the introduction of a joint Data Protection authority and the jointly-funded office in Brussels. And there may yet be joint benefits to be gained from importing waste from Guernsey.

All these initiatives are to be welcomed, but as a starting point.

If politicians in Jersey and Guernsey are lacking the encouragement and motivation to prompt increased co-operation, the global economic downturn and the pressures on public spending in both islands should surely provide impetus. The manifest necessity of finding ways to improve efficiency and save money should also encourage politicians to think more creatively about potential inter-island initiatives.

Perhaps they should be considering which non-emergency health services could be shared with Guernsey. And could the expertise of planning experts in dealing with historical buildings be shared? And what about tax policy advisers? The islands might be in competition, but they operate in the same international environment.

These are just a few examples, but there could be many more avenues to explore. Indeed, the question for politicians should not be to find areas where joint working can provide savings, but rather to seek proper justification of any area where staff claim co-operation is not possible.

To that end, the ministers should back up their promises with more concerted action. They might, for example, each nominate an assistant minister to work on joint savings across the departments in each island, giving them a savings target to achieve. And then we would see if the recurrent promises can be converted into recurrent savings.