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Government
Alderney is a self-governing, democratic territory and one of the principal islands of the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. The Bailiwick of Guernsey, and therefore Alderney, is not represented in Parliament at Westminster. UK Acts of Parliament only apply to the Island if it is expressly agreed that they should do so. Although the origins of the States of Alderney are unknown, it has functioned since the Middle Ages making it one of the world's oldest parliaments.
There are no political parties in Alderney. Government is carried out by the States of Alderney (the legislature) which consists of a President and ten States Members.
Routine government is performed by three principal committees; Policy and Finance, General Services, and Building and Development Control. These three committees are run by States Members and each committee works under a different mandate and has a separate budget. In addition, two members of the States of Alderney are nominated as representatives to the Guernsey States of Deliberation.
The President
The President is the highest civil figure in Alderney and is appointed by the electorate of Alderney for a four-year term. There is no constitutional limit to the number of terms a President may serve.
The role of President is the equivalent/similar to the Speaker of the UK House of Commons. The President chairs monthly States Meetings and ensures correct constitutional procedures are followed. It is the job of the President to help the political process run smoothly, acting also as an ambassador, representing the island on diplomatic matters and meeting visiting dignitaries.
The Presidency is the latest of a variety of political positions to govern the island. The office was established in 1949 after a new constitution establishing Alderney as a subordinate part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
The current President, William Tate, has held the post since 2019.
States Members
The States of Alderney consists of ten States Members elected for four years terms, with half of the members having to stand for election every two years so that the entire parliament is changed over a period of four years. The members are organised into four main committees: Policy & Finance Committee, General Services Committee, Economic Development Committee and Building and Development Control Committee, each of which works under a different mandate and has a separate budget. There are also numerous smaller committees.
A States Meeting, with every States Member present, is held every month in the Court of Alderney to discuss and debate reports, draft legislation and other matters. This is chaired by the President of the States of Alderney.
You can find the contact details for each of your ten current States Members and further information via this page.
The 1948 Agreement
Following the WWII Liberation of Alderney on 16th May 1945 the pre-war population was slow to return. A first post war States meeting was held in January 1946. By the end of 1946 less than 50% of the pre-war population had returned. Property boundaries were difficult to define. By 1947 the States of Alderney had little sense of direction and no evident solutions or money to resolve the enormous problems which had to be confronted.
This led to the proposal that Guernsey take over responsibility for Alderney's most important public services. These were termed "transferred services" because responsibility for them was transferred to Guernsey. By virtue of the Alderney (Application of Legislation) Law, 1948 Guernsey acquired the right to legislate in all matters necessary to discharge the duties conferred upon it to run the transferred services.
Transferred Services
While Alderney enjoys full autonomy in law (except in matters of foreign affairs and defence, like the other Channel Islands and the Isle of Man), under the provisions of the formal agreement 'The 1948 Agreement' entered into between the Governments of Alderney and of Guernsey, certain matters are delegated to Guernsey. These are known as 'transferred services'.
Transferred services include: policing, customs and excise, airport operations, health, education, social services, childcare and adoption. (The States of Alderney retains policy control of aviation to and from the island).
The States of Guernsey assume financial, legislative and administrative responsibility for Alderney's airport, health, social and educational services, police and immigration.
In return for providing the transferred services Guernsey levies various taxes and duties on Alderney.
Legislation
The States of Alderney has its own law-making powers apart from matters of law and order and some transferred services; it may also give its approval to laws passed by the States of Guernsey. Primary legislation is sent to the UK via the Ministry of Justice for approval of the Privy Council, while secondary legislation may be approved locally. Alderney has one single tier of Government and therefore the members who sit in the Executive also sit in the Legislature. The drafting of the laws is undertaken by the Law Officers of the Crown in Guernsey.
The United Kingdom's involvement
The United Kingdom looks after the Channel Islands in the fields of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Fisheries Protection and the islands' association with the European Union (EU).
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