Visiting dignitaries will be shown only the best

From David Rotherham.

THE widespread perceptions of inappropriate self-indulgence that are attaching to Sir Philip Bailhache’s ‘fact-finding’ foreign visits have deflected attention from a more fundamental reason why these trips are a poor use of public money.

For all that Sir Philip claims to be receiving very useful briefings, his status as a visiting official must inevitably skew the picture that is presented to him to the point of uselessness as a practical guide for us.

It is an ancient and worldwide tradition to show only the best and most glorious when hosting high-status guests, and hide not only the rubbish, but even the mundane nitty-gritty.

Let us imagine that the jurisdictions Sir Philip is ‘researching’ decide to send reciprocal visitors to examine how our own parliamentary system is working, in due course. Who would see them and what would they tell them?

No doubt there would be a dinner with the Council of Ministers and another with the Jurats, and maybe even visits to a few carefully chosen Constables, but it would be a safe bet that nobody with any track record for favouring reform would be allowed anywhere near them.

That being so, why does anybody expect VIP visits to be anything but a poor gauge of an island’s political health, compared with a few hours of judicious internet browsing?