My Manifesto
A Healthier, Happier Guernsey
Everyday we see how mental health challenges affect young people. If students cannot attend school, their prospects shrink. But we must distinguish between diagnosable mental illness and the normal challenges of growing up. Support should be practical and help people return to education, work and life.
This means supporting school counselling, digital literacy and more parental involvement. We need honest conversations about the effects of smartphones and social media. I support a community-led ban on smartphones for primary-age children; not out of moral panic but genuine concern for their well-being.
Our new multi-agency collaborative model is vital for early intervention. Preventative approaches improve lives and save money. Supporting vulnerable people early must remain a core priority.
Guernsey’s voluntary sector is our island’s super-power; from charities to arts and sports clubs, these groups play a huge role in improving our lives. Government needs to do more to harness their expertise and support them.
Guernsey is rightly proud of its hard-working healthcare staff. However, we must not be complacent; we must support our Health and Social Care services to plan for our changing demographic profile in the coming years.
So What ...
The goverment should support and guide parents to enact a smartphone ban for primary age children. This must be led by the community but the States should endorse, support and help to facilitate. This would not be a legal ban but a social contract.
Support our SEND Alliance multiagency approach. Removing silos and getting departments to work more collegiately will save money and improve outcomes.
Ensure that regulations support our third sector and do not hinder it. Government needs to treat it as a strategic partner. This means involving charities and community organisations early in policy-making, especially in health, education, and social care. Research shows that multi-year funding significantly improves effectiveness and stability. It will give these groups the stability to plan and grow. Once again, this requires that the States makes some tough decisions on fiscal policy.
We must focus carefully on how to fund care for the island's ageing population. Reforming and strengthening the Long-Term Care Insurance scheme is essential, potentially through adjusted contributions or expanded coverage. Preventative health, community-based care, and early intervention can reduce long-term costs while improving quality of life. Incentivising private savings and better supporting unpaid carers will also ease public pressure. A sustainable workforce strategy, with fair pay, training, and targeted immigration, must underpin this system. Broader tax reform is essential for this. Investment in digital health and assistive technologies can deliver care more efficiently. Policies must link health, housing, and transport to enable older adults to live independently for longer. Above all, public trust will depend on transparent communication and ensuring any changes are seen as fair, forward-thinking, and rooted in shared responsibility.
The picture that links to this page was taken by local legend Martin Gray. I was rowing with Shaun Kelling in the place of his usual partner, who was off on holiday, probably.