Jersey and Guernsey could one day become one Bailiwick, Chief Minister Terry Le Sueur has said. He has urged islanders not to dismiss such ideas as ‘fanciful and unrealistic’.
He said that Jersey and Guernsey must work more closely together and could one day have a joint health service and education system.
And he added that a new era of co-operation had already saved hundreds of thousands of pounds this year, with greater savings expected in the future.
Le Sueur made the comments at a breakfast meeting of business leaders which was also addressed by his Sarnian counterpart, Deputy Lyndon Trott. The theme of the event was cooperation between the two islands.
They spoke about moves to work more closely together, both to promote the islands as finance centres on the world stage and to make substantial public sector savings.
Le Sueur said: ‘Do we need two large airports with huge infrastructure costs? Or could we have a hub and feeder network? Do we need two major hospitals, or could we again do more together? Could we think the unthinkable and divide up our commercial targets, such as China, India and Brazil? Ultimately, could the Channel Islands become one Bailiwick?’
However, during a questions session after their speeches, both Chief Ministers played down calls for the two islands to be united in a federation of the Channel Islands.
This issue was put to a vote in which the audience members were split 50-50 on being for and against the idea.
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