Lindsay de Sausmarez was re-elected to the States of Guernsey in October 2020 and was voted in as President of the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure and the Vice-President of the Committee for Employment & Social Security.
She has a background in the creative industries, including media production, and is involved in community initiatives, many of which have an environmental focus. Lindsay lives with husband Rollo and their four children: Tom, 11, Zara, 9, Theo, 6, and Xavi, 2.
What’s the most interesting thing about your work?
There is literally nothing boring about my work. Compared with other jobs, being a deputy has perhaps more than its fair share of ups and downs and stressful challenges, but ultimately it’s about helping people, which is always really interesting. The more I learn, though, the more I realise how much more there is still to learn…
What are you watching/reading/listening to?
My book club never spends long discussing the actual book, but it does get me reading things I wouldn’t otherwise choose – currently Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb. I’m also reading Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth, kindly given to me by Green Guerns, and I love the rounded perspective of The Week for news, though I’m a week behind at the moment.
Who do you most admire and why?
I particularly admire mums: generally speaking, they’re amazing. My own gets a special mention for being possibly the nicest person ever, and an awesome nana too.
When are you happiest?
First thing in the morning (as long as it’s not too early), when the kids all clamber into our bed for a giant cuddle before we get up, and last thing at night after a busy day, if I’ve managed to get lots of stuff done.
What’s your guiltiest pleasure?
Time on my own. My favourite way to spend it is walking or running on the south coast cliffs, and my second favourite way to spend it is in a hot bath with a good book. One then the other is my idea of heaven.
What traits do you most like in yourself?
I’ve been lucky enough to live in different countries and cultures and I’ve had quite a varied life experience too; I think that helps me empathise more easily with different people from all kinds of walks of life and see things from more than one perspective.
What traits do you dislike in yourself?
My timekeeping: I’m always running late. I put it down to being too optimistic about how much I can squeeze in before setting off…
What’s your favourite smell?
Food. I’m a big fan, and I particularly love baking, so the smell of a fresh loaf or a cake coming out of the oven is unbeatable. That said, the complex aromas of homemade curry come pretty close and, happily, that’s my husband’s speciality.
What’s your earliest memory?
I remember standing next to our cat by the front door and deciding that she was the perfect size for me to ride like a pony. The cat didn’t agree. The interesting thing about the memory is that I was just one-and-a-half at the time, so I remember thinking purely in feelings, because I didn’t yet have words.
What did you want to be when growing up?
A fortune teller told me as a child that I’d work in the media, but not knowing what that was I never set out to work in it. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do till I fell into film production at 16. I also remember thinking politics was mind-numbingly boring, so my current role would have come as an enormous surprise to my younger self.
