Writing a Manifesto (the hard way)

Putting together a manifesto isn’t easy — especially when you’re doing it on your own. In most political systems, parties produce a shared manifesto. There are conferences, committees, policy working groups, debates — all the machinery of party politics shaping the final document.

But in Guernsey, we do things differently.We’re independents (well — mostly).And your manifesto has to reflect that reality.

People often express frustration that Guernsey manifestos can feel high-level or vague. That’s partly because we’re not writing to fit a party line or make collective promises. Until 2020, there were no parties at all. That year we saw the arrival of two: the Guernsey Party and the Guernsey Partnership of Independents (yes, the longest name and, I admit, the most boring campaign — I can say that, I was a member).

The Partnership didn’t have a full manifesto, just some talking points. The Guernsey Party, on the other hand, made clear promises: no new taxes, three 11–16 schools, and a separate sixth form. Unfortunately, they spectacularly reversed course on the first — leading the charge on GST. And they delivered on the second, a model I argued would increase class sizes, shrink the curriculum, and ultimately weaken Sixth Form provision. Sadly, that’s exactly what has happened.

So writing a manifesto from scratch as an independent — especially under the tight deadlines of Island Wide Voting — can feel overwhelming. You have to submit your manifesto and all campaign material the moment nominations close. There’s no room for a “we’ll update it later” approach.

In 2016, when I first stood, I didn’t have a finished manifesto until halfway through the campaign. A lot of what I put on my website was shaped by doorstep conversations with parishioners — which I miss deeply. One of the things I find most frustrating about Island Wide Voting is how it has all but eliminated that experience. In the past, you were invited into people’s homes and asked what mattered most to them. That kind of connection is a privilege. First-time candidates in this system may never get it.

Some well-known candidates might not feel the need to go door to door, but without that parish-level connection, the relationship between Deputies and the people they serve has weakened. It’s one reason I believe so many have felt distant from government this term.

I hope we eventually abandon pure Island Wide Voting and move to a hybrid system — one that allows for some island-wide seats but also restores a local, parish-based element. Technology could help us do this without going fully back to the old system.

Now, the manifestos are in. Each candidate had the chance to submit four pages — which will be compiled into a single booklet and delivered to every household. Mine starts on page 109 (thank you, alphabetical order). This time, we only have 82 candidates — but with everyone using their full allocation, the booklet will still run to over 200 pages.

This year, there was also a lot more freedom in what we could include in our submissions. Last time, the booklet had a uniform, bullet-point style that made it hard to stand out — or to express bigger ideas in a meaningful way. But with the shift to four pages, candidates have had the chance to be more creative, more in-depth, and more personal in how they present themselves. I used all four of my pages — and yes, political nerd alert — I’m genuinely excited to see how others have used theirs. I think it will offer a fascinating glimpse into the political makeup of Guernsey in 2025. And who knows — this may well be the last time we do it this way.

Not everyone will read every page — I wouldn’t expect them to. But I do hope that people dip into it and get a sense of what different candidates stand for.

I’ve genuinely enjoyed the process of pulling my ideas together — the ones that have been niggling at me throughout this political term. I’ve tried to zoom out, to look at the big picture, and to offer serious thinking on how we might tackle some of Guernsey’s most difficult challenges.

I hope that effort shows.And I hope it helps you decide who to trust with the work ahead.