Sixth formers say candidates avoiding questions
Teenagers at Guernsey's Sixth Form Centre have said political candidates "avoided their questions" at a meet and greet event at the school.
The session was attended by more than 60 candidates, and 17 year-old Freya said "candidates weren't giving clear information, they're giving typical politicians answers."
17 year-old Bailey agreed: "I think it's been a mixed bag, some are engaging with us and others are tiptoeing around things we are saying, which is quite telling."
Officials said 1,186 people aged between 15 and 19 were added to the electoral roll this year, as well as 1,198 people aged between 20 and 24.
Polly, 17, spoke about the inaccessibility of local politics when there was not an election being held.
She said: "I find with Guernsey and how small the States is, it's quite hard to engage normally.
"To be able to meet them in person and see how they are as people is really good.
"We can get to know who they are."
During the election campaign, some candidates have set up their own hustings sessions to meet voters, while the BBC has hosted its Your Voice, Your Vote events to help people meet potential politicians.
Bailey said she appreciated the BBC events as it was "good to hear the candidates knowledge" while she described the sixth form event as "better to find out people's characters."
Harrison, 16, was more positive about the meet and greet session,
He said: "Being able to speak to these candidates at the Sixth Form Centre has really helped me make a decision on who I should vote for.
"This is 10 times better than a manifesto booklet."
Some of the students said they were hopeful after what they heard from candidates.
Ben, 16, said: "I'd say I'm optimistic about the candidates I've approached, definitely some of them have sparked up my hope a bit.
"It makes them feel more like they care that they came and spoke to us, it's improved my view."
More news stories for Guernsey
Listen to the latest news for Guernsey
At the event Freya said climate change and the impact of building new houses on the environment were her most pressing election issues.
17 year-old Joe said for him the priorities for the new States were "cutting the deficit, housing and creating an effective taxation system."
He said the interactions he had with candidates had been good, and he wanted to see a clear-out of some longer-serving deputies to make room for new ones.
Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.
'I love this place but I have nowhere to live'
What did we learn from Your Voice Your Vote events?
BBC Guernsey to host eight election events
Lack of information 'a barrier to youth voters'
Young people driven away by high prices - study
Young people question whether island is affordable
Guernsey Election
The States of Guernsey
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
British lawyers for Hamas investigated by watchdog
The law firm trying to remove Hamas from the UK's list of proscribed terrorist groups is being investigated by a solicitors' watchdog, The Telegraph understands. Riverway Law made headlines in April when it launched an appeal to have Hamas taken off Britain's list of proscribed groups. The firm made a submission to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, arguing that Hamas posed 'no threat to the UK people' and should be allowed to operate here on free speech grounds. Just days after submitting its appeal to the Home Office, the firm was reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) by Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary. Mr Jenrick argued that Riverway's appeal potentially breached UK sanctions rules on terror groups. He also drew attention to apparent social media posts about the war in Gaza by Fahad Ansari, the leading lawyer in the case and the director of Riverway. The posts included claims that Hamas is a 'legitimate resistance movement' protecting Palestinians from 'UK-sponsored Israeli genocide'. The SRA is understood to be at an early phase of its investigation and no conclusions have yet been reached. In a letter to the watchdog sent in April, Mr Jenrick said there was 'a clear need to uphold public confidence in the legal profession and to ensure rigorous enforcement of the UK sanctions regime'. He said that there were 'significant questions as to whether Riverway have complied with their obligations under the UK sanctions regime, the SRA's own published guidance and broader professional standards expected of solicitors'. Mr Ansari has defended his firm's actions. In response to Mr Jenrick's complaint he said: 'We were in contact with OFSI [the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation], external counsel and others who had represented sanctioned organisation[s], to ensure that we did not breach our duties under the sanctions regime.' Riverway submitted a 106-page application to the Home Office in April, accompanied by a video which was posted to its social media channels. The application argued the proscription of Hamas in the UK should be lifted in line with European Convention of Human Rights protections in the interest of freedom of speech. It also claimed the ban is disproportionate and that Hamas poses 'no threat to the UK people'. The ongoing appeal, believed to be the first of its kind, is being fronted by Mousa Abu Marzouk, Hamas's head of international relations and its legal office. Mr Jenrick welcomed the SRA's investigation on Saturday, telling The Telegraph: 'Our sanctions regime is pointless if it isn't enforced. 'Ansari is a shameless apologist who argues Hamas poses no threat to the British people. What nonsense. This evil death cult threatens free people everywhere.' Mr Ansari has previously appeared to make a series of controversial social media posts related to the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. In posts dating from last year he appeared to praise fighters of the 'courageous Palestinian mujahideen', wrote 'you should view Hamas as an army of angels' and dismissed international courts as 'hopeless', saying that 'only armed resistance' would help Palestinians. In April last year, a post on his X account said: 'Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating especially the courageous Palestinian mujahideen who continue to resist the Western-backed Israeli genocide entirely on their own. You are the pride of this Ummah. May you celebrate Eid one day in a fully liberated Palestine.' Another comment posted in June said: 'If you believe genocidal Israel is the most moral army in the world, then you should view Hamas as an army of angels.' The SRA declined to comment. Mr Ansari and Riverway Law were approached for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Nigel Farage has yet to prove he can work with others
Two days after quitting after a very public dispute with one of the party's five MPs, former Reform chairman Zia Yusuf is returning to the party to take up a new role, with his exact job title yet to be settled on. On Thursday, helping Nigel Farage's party continue its remarkable rise was no longer a 'good use' of Mr Yusuf's time; today, it once again appears to be his primary objective. This will be welcome news for Mr Farage, who was reported to have felt dejected by Mr Yusuf's sudden departure. It is a positive sign, too, that the personality clashes within the party appear to have been put to one side for now. Peace has broken out over the spat that led to his departure, with Mr Yusuf attributing his decision to a combination of 'exhaustion' and feeling blindsided by the sudden raising of a potential burka ban as a policy issue in Parliament. The last two days of drama point, however, to a wider issue: Reform is not yet a professional operation on par with the established rivals it seeks to displace. While the party has made considerable electoral progress in the past year, Reform's institutional structures have lagged behind with repeated embarrassing stories over previous statements made by candidates highlighting in sharp and unforgiving fashion the importance of building back office capabilities to identify, screen and vet candidates to a satisfactory standard. There is, however, only so much staff can do. The concern for Reform will be that the sudden changes in personnel that have unfolded over the last year – the departure of Rupert Lowe MP, the resignation and return of Mr Yusuf – are mirroring a pattern observed in previous episodes in Mr Farage's political career. The former UKIP and Brexit party leader is no stranger to clashes with colleagues, and while apparently not directly at fault in this instance there will still be concerns that some elements of the drama around Reform may be integral to his leadership style. This, rather than the political skill of Sir Keir Starmer or Kemi Badenoch, may prove the greatest obstacle to Reform's ambitions in the years ahead. While Mr Farage has succeeded in capturing the votes of a large proportion of this country disaffected with Westminster and the traditional parties of government, there is little appetite to return to the squabbling and briefing that marked the dying years of the last Conservative government, or the worst days of New Labour. It is now for Reform to prove it can steer a calmer course. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Former Reform UK chair Yusuf returns to party two days after quitting
By Sachin Ravikumar and Gnaneshwar Rajan (Reuters) -Zia Yusuf said on Saturday he would return to Britain's right-wing Reform UK party, two days after quitting as its chair, blaming his abrupt resignation on exhaustion from the job. Yusuf, a businessman who is not a lawmaker himself, resigned on Thursday hours after a row with a Reform lawmaker over her call for a ban on the burqa, the full-length garment worn by some Muslim women. Yusuf became Reform chair last year, tasked by party leader Nigel Farage with professionalising the party. While it has since overtaken Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour in the polls, the exit of several senior figures has raised questions over whether Farage can hold together a team ahead of the next election, expected in 2029. "After 11 months of working as a volunteer to build a political party from scratch, with barely a single day off, my tweet was a decision born of exhaustion," Yusuf said on X, referring to the earlier post announcing his resignation. Yusuf said he would focus on a new role overseeing an Elon Musk-inspired "UK DOGE team" within Reform that the party hopes will reduce wasteful spending at the councils it controls after its victory in a series of local elections last month. The party has seen departures from its upper ranks before. One of its lawmakers, Rupert Lowe, was suspended by the party in March over allegations including threats of physical violence against Yusuf. No charges were brought against Lowe, who denies the allegations. And in November its deputy leader Ben Habib quit, citing "fundamental differences" with Farage. Farage said Yusuf would assist Reform with policy, fundraising and media appearances in addition to his work on local councils. "Zia will continue to be an important part of the team we are building to fight and win the next general election," Farage wrote on X.
