The 42nd British-Irish Council Summit, hosted by the Scottish Government in Edinburgh, brought together senior leaders to discuss international trade, EU relations, energy policy, and ongoing political developments.
The summit underscored the importance of cooperation among the UK, Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies.
Jersey was represented by the Chief Minister, Deputy Lyndon Farnham, and the Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst. The Chief Minister met with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer MP, reaffirming the economic value of the Crown Dependencies and expressing support for the UK’s global trade agenda and the ongoing UK-EU reset. Deputy Farnham highlighted Jersey’s progress on the Government’s Common Strategic Policy, cost-of-living challenges, and the positive outcome of the MONEYVAL report.
During the plenary, Deputy Gorst spoke on ‘Financing a Just Transition,’ outlining Jersey’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap and Sustainable Finance Action Plan. The summit provided a platform to discuss Jersey’s commitment to supporting a fair transition to net zero and sustainable finance initiatives.
The Chief Minister updated the council on the ‘Latest Political Developments’ in Jersey over the past six months. Deputy Farnham spoke on progress made with the Governments Common Strategic Policy, the cost of living and the successful outcome of Jersey’s MONEYVAL report.
The Chief Minister said: “I was very pleased to meet with the Prime Minister. Jersey, and the Crown Dependencies, are fully supportive of the UK’s global trade agenda and the benefits it can bring to the wider British family. Today’s meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the ongoing work in this area, as well as the UK-EU reset, and Jersey looks forward to continuing to engage closely with the Prime Minister and the UK Government as this work progresses”.
Deputy Lyndon Trott, President of the Policy & Resources Committee, represented Guernsey at the summit. He emphasised the significance of Guernsey’s role in the BIC, particularly as the council celebrates its 25th anniversary, a key component of the Good Friday Agreement.
Deputy Trott highlighted Guernsey’s efforts to promote sustainable finance and leverage its financial sector’s expertise to advance decarbonisation initiatives. Je commented: “It was a pleasure to represent Guernsey at the 42nd British-Irish Council Summit in Edinburgh, hosted by the Scottish Government. Once again, the Summit provided an important opportunity to engage with other Member Administrations and discuss a range of current topics that are of importance to Guernsey as well as our partners.
“This year marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the British-Irish Council. Guernsey is proud of the role it plays in the BIC, as a critical part of the
Good Friday Agreement, and the opportunity it provides to engage on a wide range of policy matters with Heads of Administration from across the UK, Ireland, and the Crown Dependencies.
“The Council had the opportunity to discuss energy and initiatives being implemented across BIC Member Administrations to support a just transition towards net zero. I was pleased to share details of how Guernsey continues to promote various financing elements to achieve the decarbonisation mission, through supporting green and sustainable finance and leveraging the expertise of our finance sector to be a leader in this field.”
Picture Credit: Number 10 Downing Street
