Rob Prow

Personal Statement

If elected:- I will serve the island I love, with passion and commitment to the very best of my ability. I will represent the electorate by being consistent with my stated aims and values. I will listen and fully respect the views of others. I am a team player and will collaborate with colleagues in the pursuit of common goals and in the interests of good government. I have huge respect for our community and I understand that, above all else, it is them I serve. I thrive by working hard and will always, seek out the evidence. I am a person of integrity and I believe this is a prerequisite for those in public life.

• Elected Peoples’ Deputy in 2016 - Member of Home Affairs Committee (CfHA) - until 2019 – (Vice President 2018) - Member of Health and Social Care (CfHSC) - all term. Worked on the CfHSC response to COVID 19, Hospital Modernisation and “Partnership of Purpose”.
• Signatory to successful Secondary Education “Pause and Review” Requete.
• Led Amendment for P&R to negotiate with the UK on a Reciprocal Health Agreement, similar to Jersey and the IoM.

Manifesto

The Economy and Employment

• Following the COVID 19 pandemic and huge government borrowing, the economy and employment are without doubt the political priority of the next term. The programme of social policy reforms agreed this term, as well as the commitment to fund NICE approved medicines and treatments (which I support), require large sums to implement. Economic growth and employment must be our primary issue if we are to achieve these goals.
• Much greater political effort must be deployed to Economic Development and growing the economy. We must not forget that our finance industry is our economic bedrock which we must continue to support and nurture. The contribution to the economy from the digital sector is another area requiring further progression along with tourism and hospitality. Transport connectivity also remains a real issue and the already identified challenges tackled, to better effect.
• Despite the introduction of a new law in 2016, our development and planning regime is not fit for purpose and needs a complete overhaul. It fails to properly protect our economy, the environment, green spaces and biodiversity. It is overly complex, immune from the democratic process and fails to serve either the needs of the community or developers.
• The capital reserve, has been under utilised this term, (£230 million unallocated – 2020 budget). Investment is urgently required in ways that keep local residents in employment such as building our infrastructure, health initiatives and protecting our environment.
• Our tax structure and fiscal policy must maintain and support our major industry – finance. However, I am very concerned that we over tax the lower and mid-range earners, from every direction, including those who have reached pension age. Pensioners must never be forced to sell their homes to fund their care needs. We need to make tough decisions on all general revenue expenditure and prioritise much more effectively. We now have government debt to service!

Education

• This States has badly let the island down on this vital service provision. Not one Deputy elected in 2016 had a ‘one school on two sites’ model in their manifesto. Decisions have been ideologically driven, without listening to the public, the professionals or the students.
• Grammar school education was abandoned in 2016 with no plan B - only to have a replacement ‘three school model’ worked up, also abandoned. This was initiated by an unprecedented decision allowing a group of four Deputies, funded and resourced by P&R, to form a shadow Committee to investigate the ‘one school on two sites’ option.
• This caused the Education Committee to resign and was replaced in 2018. The £157m, “one school, two sites” became policy. This was a fiasco as it clashed head on with stakeholders and the public and was halted in 2020 by the Education Requete.
• For the sake of those students, current and future, we must find better and publically accepted options. A brand new Committee post-election must sort out this mess – in full consultation with all key stakeholders, teaching professionals, end users and the public.

Health and Mental Well-being

• Health’s ‘Partnership of Purpose’ - ‘NICE Drugs and Treatments’ - ‘Hospital Modernisation’ programmes must continue to be developed, working closely with the professionals, third sector and commissioned service providers. The negotiations with the UK, on a Reciprocal Health Agreement, must also be concluded.
• Social care and mental well-being services continue to need strengthening.
• Front line services including all those who provide health care and those who keep us safe and secure, must be nurtured and valued (equal conditions for work of equal value).

A Safe and Secure Bailiwick

• The provision of a safe and secure Bailiwick is absolutely fundamental.
• Justice policy, debated at the end of this term, requires momentum to take us to the next level. This must be done in consultation with key stakeholders and the public.

Democracy

• Democracy and natural justice must underpin government and be at the forefront of the machinery of our States structures.
• Our current system of government, agreed by the 2012 to 2016 States, but only implemented this term, needs urgent review. The P&R Committee are divorced from the delivery end of government responsibility and there is a disconnection not seen in other parliamentary systems. Our Committee structure desperately needs change and become a more collaborative and collective system.

Personal History

• Educated at St Martins School (where my late mum was a teacher) and Elizabeth College.
• 40 year + Career in the Customs and Immigration Department (now the Guernsey Border Agency).
• Chief Officer, Customs and Immigration for eight years.
• Member of the Institute of Professional Investigators (MIPI).
• Member of the Chartered Management Institute (MCMI).
• Former Member of the Board of Directors of the Charity Drug Concern - now renamed In-dependence.
• Former Management and Information Security Consultant.
• Enjoys football (former President of the Sunday Soccer League) running, cycling and family time.
• Elected Peoples’ Deputy in 2016 - Member of Home Affairs Committee (CfHA) - until 2019 – (Vice President 2018) - Member of Health and Social Care (CfHSC) - all term. Worked on the CfHSC response to COVID 19, Hospital Modernisation and “Partnership of Purpose”.
• Signatory to successful Secondary Education “Pause and Review” Requete.
• Led Amendment for P&R to negotiate with the UK on a Reciprocal Health Agreement, similar to Jersey and the IoM.