What happens after election defeat in Guernsey?
When one politician lost their seat in Guernsey's 2020 election, her devastation turned to surprise as she realised post-parliament life came with reduced opportunities.Sarah Hansmann Rouxel was 800 votes short of keeping her seat in the States five years ago, and has reflected on her experience since returning to public life after her final place finish in the 2025 poll.She said the demands of campaigning while carrying out government duties left little time to consider what to do if voters reject you."I didn't actually plan to not get in. But I don't think many people do, you have to have that confidence that you know you're putting yourself forward," the soon to be deputy recalled.
"It did knock me for six, and I did spend a long time just recovering from that just not doing anything except looking after the kids and then slowly sort of building back."
'A cliff-edge'
However, she found the road back to employment was not straightforward: "I got knocked back on a lot of interviews, purely because it was too close to the political term."And especially if you work in the third sector there's a concern you might be a liability I suppose, whereas I didn't really consider that when I stood; that it would affect your chances of employability."She described the end of political careers at the whim of voters as a "cliff-edge".Sitting in the sunshine of the Sunken Gardens after an induction day for new States members ahead of their swearing in on 1 July, she had a stronger appreciation for these parliamentary pitfalls."I'm more aware that's the potential possibility at the end of this term, and I'll have a different narrative to go, but I was quite surprised at how many doors were closed because of that," she said.Deputy Carl Meerveld's shed has become well-known over the past nine years, the control room for the launching of political campaigns on issues to do with everything from schools to taxes.Now the room filled with old books and model trains speaks a different story: he himself has reached the end of the line.
He won the final seat in the 2020 election but in 2025 he lost his seat by about 200 votes."There's always a pang of disappointment because if you put yourself forward for something, you do to succeed and be selected," he said."It's the nature of politics. You have to go into an election knowing that there's a probability you won't get returned and have a plan what you want to do after that."I think it's very dangerous to think of politics as a career. It isn't. It can end at any time and you can undermine your reputation and your political standing by just simply saying the wrong thing."The States has agreed those deputies who are voted out can apply for an additional month's salary, but this will only be introduced after the next election in 2029.
"The way that you transition from being a deputy one day to not being a deputy the next, having a pay check one day and having no pay check the next, is brutal," he said."There has to be some kind of transition period to help those people go back into an employment situation or to cushion that departure and allow them a bit of time to sort out their lives."The deputy said he would not struggle financially, but accepted there could be younger people with families and mortgages who "need to replace that income" quickly.Another deputy who lost their seat, Victoria Oliver, has a young family and is now hunting for an income."Suddenly I don't get another wage now," she said. "The grant would have been very, very useful for me."I'm a surveyor by trade so I'm in the process of getting back and I'm just going to see where life takes me for a bit - enjoy my kids, because being a deputy is a real full-time job, and just to spend some time with them."
Deputy Oliver said, although being a States member was a privilege and she believed her presidency of the Development and Planning Authority was a successful one, she felt "free" now."I am a strong believer in things always happen for a reason, so I've given my all during the nine years and a bit and I feel that if it's a democracy, if the people don't want me, then that's absolutely fine."As well as going back into the private sector and spending more time with family, she thinks "never say never" on a future return to politics.Deputy Sue Aldwell, who fell from nearly 10,000 votes in 2020 to under 5,000 this year, is also relaxed about leaving the States.
"Because there'd been a poll done in the [Guernsey] Press, I automatically thought well I'm probably not [getting elected], so I was already prepared from the morning that I possibly wouldn't get in," she said.She added she would miss her roles on Home Affairs and Education, Sport and Culture, but being jettisoned from the government would not bring financial difficulties with her mortgage already paid off."No, it isn't a worry. I know that I will go on to pastures new and find something else to do," she said.However, her colleague on Home Affairs, Deputy Rob Prow was "gutted" about not being returned to politics after four years as president of the committee.
He woke up the day after the results declaration and felt "very strange"."You kind of think to yourself, I need to check the computer, I need to look at my calendar, I need to check my phone, I need to speak to people because there's so much going on."And then you realise that your whole role is being wound down."I am very, very disappointed. I did decide to stand quite late and I did think long and hard about it, but I was persuaded to stand and I felt that there was some work that still needed to be done."Obviously, my passion is in safety and security, and of course in financial crime, which is a big, big matter for the island to consider. So I felt I still had a lot to offer.""But one thing I am is a democrat, and that's the result of the election so I have to accept it," he added.
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