I have often argued that the Channel Islands have been subject to regulatory capture. That is, that these quasi-independent parts of the UK (for that is what they are) with their Westminster tolerated ability to pass local tax law have long been captured by the financial services industry in a way that means any vestige of real democracy disappeared long ago.<\/p>\n
The capture of the media<\/a> - even the BBC, just noted - is part of this process.<\/p>\n And another loyal part of the Guernsey media loyally supports the cause. This is a report from yesterday<\/a>:<\/p>\n A politician says he will not resign over comments he made about Guernsey’s fulfilment industry and which appeared in the national media.<\/p>\n Deputy Barry Brehaut’s (pictured) remarks, supporting UK campaigners who want to close the low value consignment relief \u00e2\u20ac\u0161\u00c3\u201e\u00c3\u00b2loophole’ that allows goods from Guernsey below \u00a318 in value to be imported into the UK VAT-free, featured on The Daily Telegraph’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Accountant Harry Dick-Cleland said Deputy’s Brehaut’s comments smacked of incompetence by threatening the livelihoods of more than 600 people who work in Guernsey’s fulfilment industry.<\/p>\n In a call to yesterday’s BBC Guernsey phone-in, on which deputies Barry Paint and Graham Guille were guests, he said Deputy Brehaut should resign from government.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Note that 'national' media means the UK media: implicit recognition of being part of that whole and that Guernsey is not independent.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Note too the implicit structure of the article - that the politician is wrong not to resign for saying - as he made clear in the BBC interview I've linked, that he thinks Guernsey has a repetitional risk issue from the UK VAT abuse that takes place through it. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n And it's not incompetence to draw attention to the fact that this change is on the cards - it's a recognition of reality - but only the critics get space - with the absurd demand that anyone at all elected to the States must follow the party line laid down by finance. It was of course a finance industry person making the suggestion. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n This is the reality of life in tax havens - quasi-jurisdictions that have long lost any vestige of democratic accountability in the interests of finance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n