From Stephen Platt.
IN Jersey, people often bemoan the calibre of their elected representatives. They can, however, count themselves lucky that the deputy Chief Minister of Guernsey is not among their political elite.

As offshore finance centres, Jersey and Guernsey are suspected, incorrectly, by many to be bank secrecy jurisdictions that facilitate tax evasion and money laundering. For this reason they have been targeted in the US Stop Tax Haven Abuse Bill which has been publicly backed by President-elect Barack Obama.

The islands are also wrongly suspected to have played a part in causing the global financial crisis, prompting some questions about their status in both the USA and Europe. The IMF is currently conducting its evaluation of Jersey utilising a team of international experts, including an American who it can be assumed has been made aware of the remarks of a senior Channel Islands politician.

Lest it should come as a surprise, other than to the most ignorant, the future prosperity of Jersey and Guernsey’s finance industries is not assured. Against this background, Bernard Flouquet, Guernsey’s deputy Chief Minister, determined that it was in his island’s interests to tell a racist joke to the media involving Mr Obama. You may rest assured that Washington will learn of it.

Of themselves, they will have little effect on hardened policymakers. Of much greater concern is the capital that will be made out of the profound lack of judgment the remarks represent.

The deputy Chief Minister’s decision to share his sense of humour plays into the hands of those who say that the Channel Islands cannot be trusted to run their own affairs, let alone regulate international finance centres with hundreds of billions of dollars on deposit.

I am sure that Mr Flouquet has some redeeming qualities, but sound judgment is not one of them. Clowns are better suited to a different stage.
2 Mulcaster Street,
St Helier.