THIS really should begin with an apology to the people of Sark, some of whom will be struggling this Christmas now that their jobs have somewhat unceremoniously disappeared.

The reason for the apology is only because I shall be writing about something which is real, immediate and difficult for them as if it is merely a case study. The trouble is that even the little distance between Jersey and Sark is enough to make it, for most of us, a matter of sympathetic interest rather than desperate circumstances.

What is interesting is the polarity between the views which are emerging after the election. There has been a well-publicised rift between the supporters of the Barclay brothers and those who, if they could possibly say so, would probably have preferred the financially healthy twins never to have heard of the Channel Islands.

What makes this current situation intriguing is not only that the Barclays pushed for an end to the feudal rule which is now such an oddity in the modern world, but the fact that they had already declared that if the vote did not swing towards their candidates there would be consequences. It’s not the rider a democratic election usually comes with, but perhaps this is the proof of the saying that there is no such thing as a free lunch.

It is interesting that some of those who were employed by the Barclays’ company, Sark Estate Management, are blaming not the brothers but rather the traditionalist voters whose opinion won the day in the island. Their view is that the investment from the Barclays was the lifeblood that Sark needed to take it into the future.

And from a business point of view, I suppose you have to admire the fact that the Barclays did not beat around the bush. They said they would pull the plug, and so they did. No whining, no negotiations, just action. Even so, it is hard not to see this sudden decision, so close to Christmas, as at the very least uncaring. It makes you wonder why some of the former employees are still on the side of a corporate body willing to drop them in the smelly stuff when they should be buying Christmas crackers.

Let’s face it, this makes Scrooge seem like a kindly old man who just needed a hug to make those grumps disappear.

The ‘authorities’ in Sark have now said that the situation is nowhere near as dire as reports would have us believe and that they can cope with what they estimate to be about 38 who have been dismissed from a Barclay-related payroll. They have also made a statement to the effect that the investment made by the brothers has, in fact, cost the island money.

You can almost hear their teeth grinding as they write about their determination not to be intimidated by the reaction of the Barclays to the election result.

I can’t help thinking that no matter what the reasoning behind any anti-Barclay feeling in the island, their overnight withdrawal rather bears out any mistrust many islanders may have had for the tactics that the pair were willing to use to get their own way.

Looked at from this point of view, it is difficult not to conclude that, albeit in a brutal and in the short term unwelcome way, this is the best solution all round. The Barclays don’t have to ingratiate themselves (not that they had really gone down the making friends route anyway) and invest where their efforts are not welcome, and Sark can slip back into its comfortable slippers.

Watching this drama play out over recent days has been a bit like watching in miniature the battles between environmentalists and developers that take place in the world – not least in Jersey. If it were not for the fact that real people and families have now been left in financial limbo over Christmas, it would be hard to disguise a smile at the fact that the people have had their say – and it was not an unqualified nod in the direction of development.

Is this the mercenary wonder of Woolies?

THERE is a strange compulsion in the world of marketing and advertising to look on the bright side.
Now of course this is a good thing, but you can’t help thinking that in some circumstances, looking for the silver lining and then pointing it out to other people is just inappropriate.
Stripped aisles

One case in point struck me while walking through the stripped aisles of Woolies last weekend. There cannot be anyone who doesn’t know the circumstances under which Woolworths is closing. That being the case, there can be few who, even while hunting out some bargain or other, do not feel sympathy for the staff, some very long-term, whose future is now uncertain.

Yet the signs that decorate the store belie the sadness of the sale circumstances and shout things like ‘Woolworths’ biggest ever SALE’ or ‘Total liquidation SALE’, many of them complete with exclamation marks as if the store’s closure and the imminent loss of jobs was just another way of getting in on a cheap deal.

A sudden outbreak of peace

YOU wait for ages for a really explosive speech and a good bit of Royal Square action and then nothing at all happens and peace breaks out – on the surface anyway – just in time for Christmas.

After all the posturing about stopping Senator Stuart Syvret from making his States Christmas speech in case he came over all inappropriate for the occasion, he went and toed the line.

I’m quite glad I didn’t get that ringside seat in the Royal Square now that he wasn’t kicked out into the cold to continue whatever it was he was saying. So peace, goodwill and stuff all round. It’ll never catch on.