Heidi Jean Renée Soulsby

Personal Statement

It has been an honour and a privilege to serve as a People’s Deputy since 2012 and I have done so with drive and passion. A Chartered Accountant by profession, I have held board level roles in the international finance sector and helped to establish several successful businesses. Throughout my working life I have succeeded through analytical thinking, continual learning, developing trusting relationships and helping others do their best.

• President of the Committee for Health & Social Care. Member of the Civil Contingencies Authority.
• Attended every day of every States meeting since being elected.
• Brought stability and financial control to the largest and most complex part of the States of Guernsey.
• Set firm foundations for the new model of health and care, known as the Partnership of Purpose.
• Intimately involved in the Bailiwick’s response to the global pandemic.

Manifesto

The next few months and years are going to be critical for the future of Guernsey. Thanks to the fantastic effort of the whole community, we have been able to move out of lockdown faster than most other jurisdictions in the world. We live a life within the Bailiwick without the restrictions being seen even just a few miles from our shores. However, the consequences of the global pandemic have not gone away. It is crucially important that Guernsey is nimble, both to respond to threats and to grasp opportunities. At the same time, we must work together as a community, as the pandemic has shown we can, to build back better and focus on what really matters to us.

This year has shown how we can act decisively and effectively. However, that has only been possible because those at the heart of the Bailiwick’s response to the pandemic worked in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect, listened to each other and made evidence-based decisions.

We must build on this positive way of working and push aside the divisiveness and negativity that has characterised much of this States’ term if we truly care about Guernsey’s future. We can’t afford to have politicians revisiting majority decisions just because they don’t like them. It makes for poor, indecisive government and does a disservice to our community. In our consensus system, if the ‘Revive and Thrive’ recovery plan is to be a success, we must move forward together.

Joint working is at the heart of the new model of health and care - the Partnership of Purpose - which became a reality during the pandemic with healthcare providers from the public, private and third sectors coming together to provide such a fantastic response. Firm foundations have been set which we must build on next term with the whole of government working together to address the causes of poor physical and mental health and wellbeing.

A high standard of education, good quality housing and measures to mitigate climate change will all help to improve our health and wellbeing, assist people to maximise their potential and, in turn, help our economy grow. That is why reaching a conclusion on the secondary education model, providing more affordable housing, and helping islanders make their homes more energy efficient, all need to be addressed. It is also why we need to turn Skills Guernsey into a driving force that helps us adapt to the changing workplace.

Working together is also necessary if businesses are to be able to flourish. Improved access to government and digital connectivity are essential, but so is investment in our sea links and tourist offering. Our response to the pandemic has already resulted in international interest being shown by those involved in medical research and we must continue the work we have done to turn such exciting opportunities into reality.

The Policy & Resources Committee will be the key to progress next term. Through its policy role it is the Committee that can make joint working happen politically and in its resources role it can make government work better operationally. I have a proven track record of working with others to get the job done and get it done properly. That is why, if I am re-elected, I will seek a place on that Committee and put all my efforts into ensuring Guernsey really does revive and thrive over the coming years.

Finally, I would like to thank Lois Falla, my proposer, who has been such a source of personal support these last 8 years and Roger Allsopp OBE, my seconder, who has worked alongside me as a non-voting member on the Committee for Health & Social Care this term.