From Colin Clarke.
THE recent arrest of Senator Syvret does have a certain parallel with the old ‘how many men does it take to change a light bulb’ jokes.

Does it really require eight policeman to arrest a man who does not have the look of someone likely to duck down behind the sofa, and shoot out his lounge windows while shouting ‘You’ll never take me alive, copper’. I think not.

I would suggest that Mr Syvret’s penchant for armed resistance could be equated with Senator Perchard’s services to tact and diplomacy.

A couple of questions do spring to mind. Was Senator Syvret asked to ‘help the police with their inquiries’ before he was arrested, and declined to do so? Did whoever sanctioned the early morning raid have any idea how heavy handed and vindictive it would look, and if they didn’t, what particular planet are they living on, in the wake of the Damien Green affair?

I am not particularly enamoured with Mr Syvret’s political views, and I find his persona somewhat dour and humourless, but if this is an attempt to use a sledgehammer to crack a perceived nut, I think it will play very badly with a sizeable majority of this Island.

Bullying is a nasty trait, especially if the bullies have instruments at their disposal which the ordinary man in the street does not have access to.

Politics in Jersey seem to be becoming increasingly venal, with certain States Members unashamedly ditching vast swathes of their manifestos as soon as their feet are under the table. If the manner of Mr Syvret’s arrest is a sign of the times, I would strongly advise against opening your door to any dawn callers for the foreseeable future – and if you must shoot out your lounge windows, please make sure you have a valid firearms certificate.
9 Miladi Farm,
Longueville,
St Saviour.