Politics of Guernsey take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic British Crown dependency.
The Crown Dependencies are three offshore island territories in the British Islands that are self-governing possessions of the British Crown: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, both located in the English Channel and together known as the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland. They are not parts of the United Kingdom (UK) nor are they British Overseas Territories. They have the status of "territories for which the United Kingdom is responsible", rather than sovereign states. As a result, they are not member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. However, they do have relationships with the Commonwealth and other international organizations, and are members of the British–Irish Council. They have their own teams in the Commonwealth Games.
Sir Philip Martin Bailhache KC is a Jersey politician and lawyer who has served as a Deputy for St Clement since 2022 and the leader of the Jersey Liberal Conservatives party.
The States of Guernsey, officially the States of Deliberation and sometimes referred to as the Government of Guernsey, is the parliament and government of the British Crown dependency of Guernsey. Some laws and ordinances approved by the States of Guernsey also apply to Alderney and Sark as "Bailiwick-wide legislation" with the consent of the governments of those islands. All enactments of the States of Guernsey apply to Herm as well as Guernsey, since Herm is directly administered by the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
The Chief Minister of Guernsey chaired the Policy Council, which consists of the heads of each of the ten departments of the States of Guernsey. Guernsey operates a system of consensus, committees-based government. The Policy Council is explicitly not a cabinet and has relatively little executive authority compared to a cabinet; instead, its main function is policy co-ordination. The Chief Minister also spoke for the island externally in political matters.
Jonathan Paul Le Tocq is a politician in Guernsey.
Lyndon Trott is an elected Deputy in the States of Guernsey and served as the Chief Minister of Guernsey from 2008 to 2012.
The Council of Ministers is the collective decision-making body of the Government of Jersey, formed by the Ministers of the States of Jersey and the Chief Minister. The council co-ordinates policies and administration, especially policy affecting two or more ministers, prioritises executive and legislative proposals, and presents a "Strategic Plan for Jersey" for approval by the States Assembly.
The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. As a bailiwick, Guernsey embraces not only all ten parishes on the island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Alderney and Sark – each with their own parliament – and the smaller islands of Herm, Jethou and Lihou. Although its defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick is not part of the United Kingdom, but, as its description suggests, a possession of the Crown. Consequently, though it lies within the Common Travel Area, it was never part of the European Union.
Same-sex marriage is legal in all parts of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a Crown dependency of the United Kingdom. Legislation to open marriage to same-sex couples in Guernsey was passed by the States of Guernsey on 21 September 2016, and took effect on 2 May 2017. Same-sex marriage laws took effect in Alderney on 14 June 2018, and Sark on 23 April 2020.
Gavin Scooter St Pier is an elected deputy in the States of Guernsey and former president of the Policy and Resources Committee.
The Policy & Resources Committee is the Senior Committee of the system of government in Guernsey. It was created on 1 May 2016 to replace the Policy Council of Guernsey.
Sir Mark John Boleat is leader of the Jersey Alliance political party, and deputy chairman of the City of London Corporation's Policy and Resources Committee. He has previously been director general of the Building Societies Association, the Council of Mortgage Lenders and the Association of British Insurers. He is a Common Councilman for Cordwainer Ward and trustee of Centre for London.
Laura Trott is a British politician who has served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury since November 2023. A member of the Conservative Party, who was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sevenoaks at the 2019 general election, she previously served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Work and Pensions between October 2022 and November 2023. Before entering parliament, Trott worked as a partner at Portland Communications, and as a special adviser.
The president of the Policy and Resources Committee, also known as the Chief Minister of Guernsey, is the head of government of Guernsey and chair of the Policy and Resources Committee. The head of government is not directly elected by the people but rather by the legislature, the States of Guernsey.
Peter Terence Richard Ferbrache is an elected Deputy in the States of Guernsey and former president of the Policy and Resources Committee.
Heidi Soulsby is a politician from the island of Guernsey. She has been a deputy of the States of Guernsey since the 2012 Guernsey general election and was the First female Deputy Chief Minister of Guernsey.
This article lists electoral firsts in Guernsey.
Mary May Lowe is a politician in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. She served in the island's legislature for 26 years, becoming Guernsey's longest-serving politician, before leaving office after the 2020 general election.
