Members of the public and prospective candidates are invited to register to attend an informational course being run in January & February that will offer an insight into the realities of being a States’ Member and give attendees the opportunity to hear from officers to gain insight into how the States of Guernsey is structured and operates, so that attendees who go on to decide to stand, can do so with a better understanding of what to expect should they be successful in the General Election.
Sessions will be held weekly at St Martin’s Community Centre commencing on 16th January 2025. One exception to this will give attendees the opportunity to sit in Members’ seats in the States’ Chamber when they hear from the States’ Greffier about the States’ Meetings. On that day it is anticipated that the States will be meeting and therefore attendees are invited to come and watch the meeting from the public gallery ahead of the session which will run from 5:45pm until 7:45pm.
All sessions will contain time for attendees to ask questions of the speakers. It is important to note that this course is designed to provide attendees with information about how the Island’s government is structured and functions rather than to facilitate extensive political debate, however there will be an opportunity for attendees to meet with current States’ Members and presenters at the end of each session should they wish to engage in more detailed conversation.
Attendees are strongly encouraged to attend every session of the 7-week course. There will be no cost to attending but those who are interested are asked to register here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/govgg/t-jzyarqx to give an indication of numbers.
When registering, it is important for attendees to note that details of attendance at each session of the course will be collected and should they go on to stand for Election, details of their attendance will be published on their manifesto page on the election2025.gg website. If they do not stand for election, their attendance details will not be published.
The sessions of the course are as follows:
Being a States’ Member - Thursday 16th January 2025
Two members of the current Assembly are invited for a sit-down conversation with host Rob Moore to talk about the day-to-day life as a Deputy, discussing their different experiences and perspectives of the realities facing Members, whilst balancing family and other personal commitments and responsibilities.
How Government Works – An overview – Thursday 23rd January 2025
This session will be presented by the Head of the Public Service and will introduce attendees to the workings of Guernsey’s government providing information and insight into operational delivery responsibilities and how the civil service is structured to support the work of Committees.
How Government Works –Economy, Population & Workforce – Thursday 30th January 2025
This session will be delivered by Officers from Treasury and Data & Analysis, This session will provide information on the size of current workforce and population levels, and how these effect the overall economic status of the Bailiwick.
States’ Meetings at the Royal Court – Thursday 6th February 2025 - (Session to be held in the States’ Chamber at the Royal Court between 5:45pm and 7:45pm)
This session will be held in the States’ Chamber at the Royal Court and will be hosted by the States’ Greffier. It offers an introduction to the history of the States of Deliberation, as well as its current functioning and the importance of understanding the Rules of Procedure in order to providing structure to the Meeting. It is expected, although not guaranteed, that the Assembly will be meeting that day and attendees of the course are strongly encouraged to come and sit in the public gallery to witness proceedings first hand ahead of the session with the States’ Greffier.
How Government Works - Guernsey’s Finances – Thursday 13th February 2025
This session will be delivered by Officers from Treasury and will include an introduction to the Island’s current taxation arrangements and how money is subsequently spent in delivering services to Islanders.
Parliamentary Scrutiny – Thursday 20th February 2025
This session will focus on parliamentary scrutiny, what scrutiny is and how it is conducted effectively within Guernsey’s system of government, whilst also highlighting that all Members of the States of Deliberation play an active and important part in the scrutiny process and development of policy. The roles of the Scrutiny Management Committee, and the Legislation Review Panel will also be covered.
Standing for Election in June 2025 - What can a candidate expect – Wednesday 26th February 2025
The final session of the course will be delivered by the Registrar-General of Electors. It will cover the mechanics of the Election and what candidates can expect during the process, from submitting nominations, campaigning rules, understanding of election expenditure limits, to the details of the vote count and declaration of the results.
It is expected that members of the media may wish to attend some or all of the course sessions, if so, they will be asked not to take identifying photos nor publish names of those in attendance, thus ensuring a degree of privacy to those attending who may or may not wish to publicly indicate whether they intend on standing for election in June 2025 or not.