????? saw the launch of an unfamiliar style of Newspaper across the Crown Dependencies. Called ‘thePeple’ it was born as a result of a deeply personal event for our local Guernsey family now turned publishers. That is not to say that it was created to allow for vengeance or as some form of vehicle for retribution, that is simply not the case. Our ethical viewpoint, both as individuals and now as publishers, will simply not allow it.

 

The ramifications of the event itself raised serious questions and highlighted concerns that centre around the Executive and its function within our island home of Guernsey.

 

Since we began the many months of work needed to make thePeple a reality our views have not changed. Events such as the Police taking a member of the public aside at Guernsey Airport for re-education on the art of being a good citizen don’t exactly build the public trust; even if there was felt to be reasonable cause, the tactic was ill considered. It has remained our view that greater transparency and oversight of our public services is needed. That the Executive, in all its forms, should be held to account for its decisions and the actions of those that represent it; after all, it is unlikely that the PC, so prominent in the airport reporting, was acting without instruction.

 

Here at thePeple, we believe that without fear, or favour, there should be a clear, fair and concise articulation of the facts at play in public life. Facts that will allow our readers to determine what they are happy to accept from our Public Services and the Politicians that oversee them.

 

The team, small as it is, has no political affiliation or tendency. If we had to position ourselves on the political spectrum we would certainly be centralist although in our writing we will aim always to be independent of the wider situation seeking only to highlight the facts and give our readers the ability to draw their own conclusions as to the merit, or not, of a particular article.

 

That we see the Executive as imperfect is not a political statement. Neither is it said too pull the Executive down. It simply said as recognition that we all have a responsibility to each other to do better and this applies no less to the Executive than to anyone else. Where we believe that a service could do better, where a budget may be better spent or where elected politicians appear to have relinquished the moral high ground in favour of a quick or easy win, then we believe that someone should speak up and lay out the facts.

 

Unfortunately, as in any small community, we have noticed that power can at times become deaf to the voices of its concerned citizens. Equally, power in the hands of the few can discourage open and honest discourse about what ails us as a community. Either too few are impacted by a circumstance for it to matter, or the inherent bureaucracy of Government has simply become efficient at dealing quietly with our objections; either through copious red tape or a simple lack of teeth within the departments responsible for oversight.

 

That Governing is hard when the population wants everything here and now, but not in their back yard or paid for out of their pocket, is an immutable fact for every jurisdiction and every politician. But as I once heard a billionaire from Japan say with a dead pan face to a room full of bankers here in Guernsey “It’s what you chose to do for a living. Do it better or stop taking my money!”.

 

This is a hard sentiment to challenge and perhaps a bitter pill to swallow for those individuals who like to remind us just how difficult the situation is. Simply put, Guernsey must do better!

 

As a result of these considerations, we have set out to report on news from within The Crown Dependencies, The Overseas Territories and the machinations within the UK Government and The Crown that are responsible for them and who remain accountable to us, as their citizens. Jurisdictions with similar problems and similar controls; apples and apples if you will. Our initial focus will be on Political, Economic and Business-related matters and in time, as we grow the staff, we will expand our reporting. We hope that those of you interested in digesting the facts will join us on our journey as we grow into a publication that you can be proud to support and read.

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