Change over candidates showing election training

Deputy Chris Le Tissier said there were "all sorts of reasons" why a candidate might not attend a training session

Prospective election candidates will no longer be required to show publicly how many pre-election States training sessions they have attended.

The States Assembly & Constitution Committee unanimously reversed its decision to make a public record of attendance after pressure from deputies.

Candidates will have the option of including their attendance on manifestos, but it will no longer be a requirement.

Deputy Chris Le Tissier led calls for the change and said: "Publishing whether you attended the training or not smacks of government interference in the election, because the implication is 'if you didn't, you don't care'."

'All or nothing'

His preference was for the rule to go further and not allow any candidate to publish the number of sessions they attended, adding that some people will feel "disappointed".

He said: "I know they can refuse, but then the public could draw an unfortunate inference from that.

"I think it should be all or nothing, and I'd like to see nothing."