Andrew William Taylor

Personal Statement

I know how real businesses tick, knowledge crucial to Guernsey. With three successful businesses to my name since 2014, I have a proven eye for opportunity and development. Each business has been self funding and clear financial planning has allowed operation and growth without continued borrowing. Aged 32, I am ready to give back to the island and have the time to invest in Guernsey’s future.

• Entrepreneur - proven success in businesses outside of financial services
• Architectural Technologist - I can read plans, visualise and understand the built environment
• Government Interaction - proven experience dealing with multiple States departments to aid business growth
• Optimistic Yet Realistic - I know my skills, my weaknesses, and when to seek advice

Manifesto

Guernsey should not run as a business, but the basic principles of business should run through. Simple solutions exist to complex problems and the application of critical thinking with new ideas, followed by action, is essential to enriching life in Guernsey.

Trust me with your vote, I promise a fresh vision to local Government. I am not naive enough to promise the earth, so I’ve picked a few key issues and provided my thoughts. I understand this is only a snapshot of the issues facing a Deputy, but being this far down the alphabet I’m just grateful you’ve made it this far.

Infrastructure: We need to get back to basics. Walk any of Guernsey’s coastline for examples of failing infrastructure needing urgent attention; slipways, piers, cliff paths & sea defences.

Our historic monuments are under-utilised and neglected. With creativity some could be converted into holiday accommodation with their maintenance becoming self-funding and increasing our tourist bed-stock, as has been done in neighbouring jurisdictions.

Small infrastructure projects can be completed with on-island expertise and labour. As part of ongoing maintenance schedules, expenditure is spread over many years, allowing for longer term fiscal planning whilst freeing up Government for other issues as they arise.

Government should invest solely in Guernsey. Public funds, whether saved or borrowed, should not be committed off-island and our attention should not deviate from maintaining our island home for the benefit of the population.

This term will bring difficult decisions with regards to funding. Ongoing costs & capital expenditure must demonstrate four clear principles to gain my support; proven need, ability for completion, affordability & measurable results. I am wholeheartedly against tax increases/GST to fund idealistic proposals and believe reform comes before re-finance.

Reform should be led from the ground up, retaining the core workforce and understanding their needs is key to efficient working. Increased middle management leads to bureaucratic process and inefficient working. The ongoing nurse’s pay disparity is a prime example of misunderstanding key workforce value and the increased costs associated with poor staff retention.

Diversification of the Economy has been suggested, but very little offered as to how or more importantly who will be responsible for this.

The Public Sector is our second largest employment group with around 5000 employees. Should, as an example, a 5% drop in this sector be achieved, in the region of 250 people could enter the private sector to diversify the economy.

Diversification of our economy should include a new Market facility for the numerous successful “cottage industries” (bakeries, crafts, growers, etc) which are blocked from expansion by crippling rents for retail outlets/light industrial units. If allowed to grow, these industries would circulate money through our economy whilst also creating varied employment opportunities. The facility, copying successful and imaginative ideas from around the world, need not be an expensive investment and could be operated as a part-time venture to encourage entrepreneurial spirit.

An example of diversification within my own business activity; opening a Coffee Roastery during lockdown allowed me to supply coffee beans direct to my customers’ homes. More importantly though, removing an additional layer in our supply chain has reduced off-island coffee spend by some 70%, created a part-time job and reduced on-going costs.

Through Tour Guernsey, I know that tourism has incredible potential. Visitors love Guernsey yet there’s no meaningful increase in visitor numbers year on year. I support an industry led privatisation of Visit Guernsey’s marketing. This has been done successfully in other jurisdictions and would result in multi-million pound savings to the Government.

Expansion within tourism can be achieved without major infrastructure changes though there are plenty of opportunities to enhance the visitor, and of course local, experience.

Education is more complex than the number of schools, we must look at the wider picture - understanding the needs of our children whilst generating skills that can be utilised on island. I benefitted from the States Apprenticeship Scheme and fully appreciate the role it offers to students wanting a skills based outlook.

I welcome discussion on any aspect of local life or politics, I won’t shy from difficult questions so please get in touch if you’d like to know more.

To serve Guernsey as a Deputy would be an honour, so I hope you will vote Andrew Taylor.