Resignation of the Pan-Island Commissioner for Standards

WQ.458/2025

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE CHAIR OF THE PRIVILEGES AND PROCEDURES

COMMITTEE

BY DEPUTY H.M. MILES OF ST. BRELADE

QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 1st DECEMBER 2025

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 8th DECEMBER 2025

Question

"Further to the resignation of the Pan-Island Commissioner for Standards from her role in Guernsey following a Guernsey States debate that did not uphold her recommendation, will the Chair confirm –

1. the status of the Commissioner's role in Jersey;
2. what plans, if any, he has for her role in Jersey to be reviewed; and
3. whether this resignation will have any impact on costs for Jersey?"

Answer

Dr. McCullogh made the decision to resign as Guernsey's Commissioner for Standards, following the States decision not to apply sanctions in relation to Deputy Gavin St. Pier, following the publication of Reports by the Commissioner and then the Appeals Commissioner Martin Jelley (Commissioners for Standards - UK Parliament) recommending that he should be suspended for breaching Guernsey's Code of Conduct.

In her resignation statement Dr. McCullogh said that the decision not to sanction the Deputy , despite him having been found by two Commissioners to have breached the Code was a "signal to the public that the Assembly is unwilling to enforce consequences and ensure accountability, that Deputies are prioritising political considerations over standards and that the independent process has limited real-world effect. A Commissioner cannot uphold standards in a system where standards are not seen to be upheld. Equally, if after exhausting an independent appeals process and whilst awaiting the public debate on the sanction, a Deputy can campaign publicly and undermine the process and its findings in the media, and face no consequences for undermining the system, it sends a message that others can do the same. This greatly damages the standards system. In these circumstances, I cannot in good conscience continue to serve as Commissioner for Standards in Guernsey."

1. Dr. McCullogh remains the Commissioner for Jersey and is also employed in that role in Alderney and Sark. She is contracted to work for each Island separately, is employed by Jersey under our Commissioner for Standards (Jersey) Law 2017 and the Pan-Island' title was solely for recruitment and website purposes, where we shared resources with Guernsey;
2. there are no immediate plans for the Commissioner's role to be reviewed; and
3. we shared the cost of the WorkPro system which the Commissioner uses with Guernsey, so there will be a small increase for us of approximately £17 a month to cover that cost completely. Discussions will take place with Alderney and Sark regarding any website costs which may arise, but these are expected to be minimal.