Latest news with #IainMacFarlane
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Alderney States criticised for its Gaza statement
The States of Alderney is facing criticism from one of its politicians after issuing a statement on the Israel-Gaza Thursday, it said it endorsed the "compassionate" message from Guernsey's chief minister, which urged the UK to condemn the "suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza".Alderney States Member Iain MacFarlane, one of the island's 10 politicians, said he "did not support the statement" from the States of Alderney. He said: "Issuing statements on highly complex geopolitical matters risks appearing performative and politically selective." The statement said: "The States of Alderney endorse the compassionate message from the government of Guernsey in highlighting the humanitarian situation in Gaza alongside the numerous other humanitarian crises in the world, and the commitment to upholding the principles of International Law."Last week, Jersey's Chief Minister Lyndon Farnham called for the "immediate cessation of violence against civilians and the release of all hostages" in a letter to the UK government. It led to pressure from 17 Guernsey deputies for the States of Guernsey to take similar action. 'Other ongoing disasters' Despite criticism from MacFarlane, some politicians, including Steve Roberts and representative in Guernsey's States, Alex Snowdon, have endorsed the move by Alderney's States. MacFarlane said: "I did not support the publication of this statement. As a local government with no foreign policy role, Alderney has no mandate or influence over international affairs. "What concerns me most is that this particular conflict was singled out, seemingly following Guernsey's lead, while other ongoing humanitarian disasters in Sudan, Yemen, Congo and elsewhere receive no such recognition."He added: "That inconsistency sends the wrong message, and undermines any sense of neutrality or principle."He stressed that the island's 10 politicians and the government itself should focus on the matters immediately impacting residents. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday that 91 people have been killed while seeking aid in the past day and two people had died of Defense Forces (IDF) said it had continued a "series of actions aimed at improving the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip" and that "over the past few hours, 43 aid packages, containing food for the residents of both the southern and northern Gaza Strip, were airdropped".It again denied "false claims of deliberate starvation in Gaza".It comes as US President Donald Trump says Canada's move to recognise a Palestinian state, following similar plans by the UK and France, threatens a US-Canada trade deal, with Israel's foreign ministry calling it "a reward for Hamas".
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Call for property standard laws in Alderney
A politician in Alderney said he questions the "suitability" of some of the rental properties in the island.A recent report by the States of Alderney showed that 45% of all domestic property is privately are concerns however about what protections tenants and landlords member, Kevin Gentle said "we do not have, like Guernsey has just introduced, a general housing law, that protects tenants and landlords alike". 'Manage the burden' Mr Gentle said that introducing an Alderney version of that law "could only be a good thing".He added that a lack of suitable housing could be affecting the economy: "If we can't keep those younger people here, that we need to drive the economy forward, if we cannot entice those key workers that we need because they've got nowhere to live, then this island will become extinct."Iain MacFarlane, chair of the Housing Working Group, agrees there should be some regulations in place but said they would "have to manage the burden for landlords as well"."We wouldn't want them pulling properties from the market for fear of having to spend potentially thousands or tens of thousands of pounds on renovations," Mr MacFarlane said. 'Incentives' The report also highlighted that more than a third of privately-rented properties were owned by people whose main address was not in accounts for a sixth of all housing in in the MacFarlane said "there is a bit of a danger that we are a boom-and-bust island" where homeowners return to Alderney only for peak also acknowledged that there were a lot of properties that have been vacant "for many years" and that the government needs to look at "incentives for the homeowners and landlords to utilise their property and not just let them sit".
BBC News
08-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Less than 5% of Alderney housing classed as 'affordable'
Alderney has 68 affordable homes according to new figures published by the island's government - less than 5% of the island's domestic States of Alderney published its 2025 Residential Property Stock and Prices Bulletin this week, in partnership with Guernsey's Data and Analysis were 1,510 "domestic property units" on the island at the end of March, with 47% owner-occupied and 45% privately MacFarlane, chairman of Alderney's Housing Group, said housing was "high" on the States' agenda and the new data would help it understand the island's housing needs. The States of Alderney said more than a third of privately-rented properties were owned by people whose main address was not in than 20% of people in Alderney live in apartments, with nearly 80% living in either houses or report said there were 52 property sales in 2024, up from 43 the year before.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Inquiry to look into care home overspend
An independent inquiry will look at a £1.3m overspend and delays in building an extension to an Alderney care home, the States of Alderney has said. The inquiry into the soaring costs of the 13-room extension to the States-owned Connaught Care Home will be led by Martin Thornton, a judge from Guernsey Magistrates Court, said the States. Last December the States of Alderney approved an extra £340,000 for the extension costs. In 2021 an extra £737,000 was requested for the project, following on from £280,000 granted the previous year. Planning permission was granted for the extension in St Anne in 2019 and £1.29m was approved for the project in March 2020. Iain MacFarlane, chairman of the general services committee, said: "This will not be a just a tick-box exercise. "The inquiry will thoroughly examine key processes and procedures relating to the project, ensuring that the overall accountability for the perceived failings is identified." He said the findings would be made public and the committee asked for recommendations to prevent "similar issues from occurring". The committee recognises "the community's frustrations over the delivery of this project and its perceived shortcomings and remains committed to transparency and responsible management of public funds", he added. Deputy Kevin Gentle told a States meeting in December the work was finished and checks were under way for the extension to open in the "early summer". Deputy Lin Maurice told the meeting: "Connaught Care has been the worst headache that we have ever had to put up with." Members called for the inquiry to be held in public. Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to 'Emergency budget' to be debated in February Survey aims to identify retirement needs States of Alderney
