Future Guernsey is a political movement in

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

focused on policy development and political advocacy. Originally founded in 2021 as a political party by Gavin St Pier, it was later de-registered and relaunched in November 2024 as an unregistered policy movement. Future Guernsey is deliberately structured to avoid registration as a political party, which prevents it from legally endorsing candidates but allows it to focus on policy development without electoral law constraints. The organization developed a comprehensive political manifesto that was subsequently adopted "in its entirety" by the separate Forward Guernsey political party for the 2025 Guernsey general election.

History

First iteration (2021)

Future Guernsey was first launched in December 2021 by Gavin St Pier as a successor to the dissolved Guernsey Partnership of Independents. St Pier described this initial version as "fiscally and environmentally responsible and socially liberal". This first iteration was registered as a political party but was later de-registered.

Relaunch as policy movement (2024)

Future Guernsey was relaunched on 28 November 2024 at the Performing Arts Centre in St Peter Port, with more than 250 people attending the launch event. The relaunched organization was deliberately structured as an unregistered movement rather than a political party. The 2024 version established a different leadership structure, with St Pier serving as Political Adviser, former

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chief executive John Hardie as Chairman, and communications consultant Lindsey Freeman as Chief Executive.

Purpose and structure

Policy development focus

Future Guernsey's primary purpose is policy development and political advocacy without the legal constraints faced by registered political parties. The organization conducted research showing that only 13% of islanders believed Guernsey's political system was working effectively. The movement developed what St Pier described as "the most detailed policy programme ever presented to voters locally".

Legal limitations

As an unregistered political movement, Future Guernsey cannot legally endorse or support candidates in elections under Guernsey electoral law. This limitation was acknowledged from the organization's relaunch, with St Pier stating that any electoral activity would require a separate registered political party.

Policy platform

Future Guernsey's manifesto focuses on six core policy areas:

Housing

The movement proposes innovative housing policies including a tax-efficient Guernsey Property Savings Account (GPSA) modeled on the UK's Lifetime Individual Savings Account, allowing up to £60,000 to be saved tax-free for rental deposits or home purchases.

Economic growth

Future Guernsey emphasizes the need to increase economic productivity and encourage business investment as central to addressing other policy challenges.

Public finances

The organization proposes a 1% real terms reduction in committee baseline operating expenditure annually, which would cumulatively produce savings of at least £25 million.

Health, education, and climate change

The manifesto addresses healthcare provision for an aging population, educational funding and infrastructure, and environmental responsibility measures including climate transition policies.

Relationship with Forward Guernsey

Electoral vehicle creation

Due to Future Guernsey's inability to endorse candidates, Gavin St Pier launched Forward Guernsey as a separate registered political party in April 2025. Forward Guernsey adopted Future Guernsey's manifesto "in its entirety", creating what St Pier described as a unique structure in Guernsey politics.

Organizational separation

Upon launching Forward Guernsey, St Pier resigned his role as Political Adviser to Future Guernsey to maintain the legal separation between the organizations. This structure allows Future Guernsey to continue policy development work while Forward Guernsey handles electoral activities.

Philosophy and approach

Future Guernsey promotes what it calls "policy over personality" politics, arguing that Guernsey's system of independent deputies creates "endemic inertia and indecision". The organization advocates for policy-based governance structures as an alternative to personality-driven politics. St Pier has described the current States Assembly as comprising "38 individual deputies with 38 individual agendas", resulting in a body that "may comprise individuals who all mean well but are collectively and systemically dysfunctional".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Future Guernsey Political movements Politics of Guernsey Organisations based in Guernsey 2021 establishments in the United Kingdom 2024 establishments in the United Kingdom