From Terry Connor.
I READ with some concern a report by the JEP ‘Fly’ on a States session last week in which he noted that one Constable and a Deputy had ‘deputised’ their elected duties to a red handbag and a water bottle respectively.

Previously the States, in their ineffable wisdom, have enfranchised ring-binders as valid voting vehicles, but the situation is threatening to get out of hand and perhaps the time has come for Members to draw up a list of common items of office furniture to which proxies for voting rights may legitimately be delegated.

If the number of accepted articles can be raised to a ceiling of 53, this would effect a huge economy in salaries and demonstrate that the States were perhaps serious about pruning public services expenditure in actually leading by example in a frontal assault on the £50 million black hole.

On further reflection, however, I sense a problem if the necessary legislation is not thoughtfully compounded. For should the Island be represented at some future British-Irish Council (or other international get-together) by a paper clip or pencil sharpener, this might paint a not wholly inaccurate but probably undesired image.