Future Guernsey political party launches

Deputy Gavin St Pier is fronting the party, which is aiming for a "fiscally and environmentally responsible and socially liberal" future

A rebranded political party with plans to develop a shared policy agenda, has been launched.

Future Guernsey is the new name for the Guernsey Partnership of Independents.

The leader, Deputy Gavin St Pier said: "There are a significant number of people who share our view that Guernsey needs a positive alternative."

The decision to change the name was made at the group's annual general meeting.

Analysis

BBC Guernsey political reporter John Fernandez

In 2017 Deputy Gavin St Pier told the island's business community he wanted to create a new form of politics in our island.

Fast forward four years and you may be feeling a little bit like that part of the Matrix where Neo sees the same black cat twice - a sense of déjà vu.

The island's former chief minister is promising "a policy platform that looks forward and not back".

His first foray into party politics is a difficult one to clarify as a success. Ten candidates out of 21 is certainly impressive numbers.

But the ultimate goal of the party whether it was its stated ambition or not, is to deliver the top job to its leader - and in that, it failed.

Now this new venture Future Guernsey is aiming to follow a more established set-up with stated policies, but it is not clear how this party will end up looking and what its main policies will be.

But with Deputy St Pier at its helm, there's no doubting this group will be one to watch as we move towards 2025.

The partnership, which had always described itself as not a true political party, announced in September that it would be dissolving.

However, it still remains registered.

Ten of its 21 candidates were successful at the first ever island-wide election, which was held in October 2020, but the majority have stepped away from the group since then as its main aims were helping its new candidates secure seats.

Out of the partnership's three senior members only one - Deputy Heidi Soulsby - secured a committee role after the election

Currently no other sitting politicians have announced they have joined Future Guernsey.

Mr St Pier said the party intends to develop policies that would generate investment in the island's future.

He added: "We need a policy platform that looks forward and not back.

"We need to be firmly focussed on a future that is fiscally and environmentally responsible and socially liberal."

Mr St Pier has invited interested individuals to approach him.