It has been reported (in
local State Media) that Senator Philip Bailhache is to ask the UK, including
the Minister of Justice, Lord McNally to intervene after Jersey has been put on
a "blacklist" by French President Francois Hollande for apparently being an uncooperative Tax Haven.
Philip
Bailhache asking the UK to intervene? This is the same man (according to former
Police Chief, Graham Power QPM) while Bailiff, along with his brother, William
Bailhache, were looking into breaking ties with the UK altogether!
Regular
readers will be aware that a document was leaked to the discredited, and
disgraced, BBC which it subsequently BURIED. (Despite reporting on the prosecution case). The document was the interim defence
case of the former Chief Police Officer and in it he wrote;
"where
some notable figures favour an eventual severance of links with the U.K. and
would see the ready acceptance of U.K. working practices as running counter to
this agenda. I recall that in 2007 I assisted a small working group
which included, among others, the Bailiff Sir Philip Bailhache and the Attorney
General William Bailhache. The purpose of the group was to prepare a draft
contingency plan for complete independence. I submitted papers to the
group on the implications for law enforcement, and used some contacts from my
previous role to offer suggestions as to who outside of the island, could
assist in developing such a plan. I provided contact details of key
figures in the Scottish Government and Administration including the Scottish
National Party. I recall that some of the advice and contacts I provided
were in an email I sent, probably in July 2007. This and other
experiences reinforced my understanding that there was a tide flowing against
closer association with the U.K, and a strong local agenda to develop working
models and solutions within the island."(END)
But beside the apparent hypocrisy of
Senator Bailhache, one has to ask, just what mandate does the UK really have to
interfere with Jersey affairs? According to Lord McNally, the UK really has no
business in Jersey affairs as we are apparently a self governing jurisdiction
and has refused, on many occasion, to get involved, with what looks to be
Jersey's corrupt and politicised judicial system.
Senator
Bailhache is not the first island politician to request the intervention of the
UK. Deputies Trevor, and Shona, Pitman have also called on Lord McNally to
fulfil, the apparent, "obligation" of the UK to ensure good
governance, and the Rule Of Law, in the Crown Dependency of Jersey in a Press
Release HERE. Lord
McNally/UK has refused to get involved claiming it doesn't have the
remit.
With that in
mind, what remit does the UK have, to intervene between France and Jersey? Will
Senator Bailhache (unlike Deputies Pitman) find a sympathetic ear in Lord
McNally and what could that entail? How CAN the UK intervene? Will Lord McNally see the apparent hypocrisy of Senator Bailhache? One minute he's looking into independence from the UK and the next minute asking it for help. If it doesn't
intervene will Senator Bailhache use this as another excuse for Jersey to
break ties with the UK and go independent?
How can Lord
McNally turn a blind eye to this lot (below) and then take Senator Bailhache
seriously?
