But now the Sarnian Chief Minister appears to be striking a more conciliatory note.
In an article with Business Brief magazine, he praised the ‘intelligence’ of Jersey’s ministers and suggested it was time for the two islands to forgo their past difficulties and work together.
The Deputy, whose island is currently in lockdown following a major spike in Covid cases, said a closer working relationship was particularly important given the issues caused by the pandemic.
The comments mark a change of tone for Deputy Ferbrache who, while president of Guernsey States Trading Supervisory Board last spring, made a number of scathing remarks about the way in which Jersey government’s had handled the crisis.
However, in the Business Brief article, the politician, who was elected Guernsey’s Chief Minister last autumn, said: ‘My experience of years ago is that it [inter-island co-operation] didn’t work but we should try it again.
‘But if we do that, and I’m saying this most respectfully to our cousins in Jersey, it’s got to be realised that we are equal partners. Of course, they’re bigger than us, they’ve got bigger landmass and a bigger population. But we’re equal partners and we must make equal contributions and have equal rights. That’d be the same for the Isle of Man.
‘I think Senator Le Fondré and [Isle of Man Chief Minister] Mr [Howard] Quayle, in their respective jurisdictions, are intelligent people and so are their senior colleagues. We’re all in the same boat with Covid and Brexit and we all need to work together.’
But Sarnian-based businessman and commentator Digby Jones, a former UK government trade minister, said that he felt Guernsey should be cautious about forming closer ties with its larger neighbour, despite their mutual challenges.
‘In terms of policy and concept, I would say don’t hitch your wagon to Jersey,’ he said.
‘You [Guernsey] will be subsumed. You will be taken over. Do not do that. You’ll end up with legislation that suits Jersey but not Guernsey. Make a virtue of the fact that we are different and try to get the best of both worlds.
‘We have done it before many a time and we can do it again.’
