The voice of Guernsey Business Insight Report reveals six critical policy areas for election candidates.

As Guernsey prepares for the 2025 general election, we’ve been working alongside seven other industry and charitable organisations to better understand the priorities of the island’s business community.

The Voice of Guernsey Business Insight Report captures the views of nearly 400 respondents across 20 industries—including the island’s third sector. Together, we represent around 1,000 organisations and 20,000 employees.

Our aim? To highlight the most urgent policy areas that election candidates need to address—and to give voters and potential candidates a clear view of what matters most to Guernsey’s business community.

The Six Big Issues

The report identifies six interconnected policy areas that are critical to Guernsey’s long-term success:

Housing & Cost of Living:

Housing remains the most significant barrier to attracting and retaining talent. Housing affordability, availability and quality are top concerns for businesses, and alleviating cost-of-living pressures for the younger generation are crucial.

Education & Skills Gap:

Skills shortages and an ageing workforce pose long-term risks to Guernsey’s economy. To mitigate these risks, investment in education and training.

Tax & Economic Development:

Opinions on changes to the island’s tax regime are divided, but there is strong support for change. A balanced taxation and public spending approach is necessary to foster economic growth.

Connectivity, Tourism & Transport Links:

Issues with air and sea links are affecting business operations, tourism, and economic growth. Reliability, affordability, frequency, and capacity of transport services are significant challenges that need to be quickly addressed to ensure sustainable economic development.

Government Delivery:

Government inefficiency and slow decision-making are significant obstacles to progress. Businesses are calling for collaborative leadership, efficient decision-making and targeted policy action to unlock Guernsey’s economic potential.

Public Spending:

Respondents noted that efficiency within the civil service can be improved, but it should be balanced with investment in infrastructure, education, transport, and digital connectivity.

Guernsey Chamber, together with the Guernsey International Business Association, Hospitality Association, Construction Forum, Institute of Directors, Guernsey Retail Group, Confederation of Guernsey Industry and the Association of Guernsey Charities—collectively known as the G8—has come together to drive positive change for the community.

We urge all candidates to consider their responses to the six key themes identified in the research as they develop their manifestos,” said a spokesperson for the G8.

We also ask islanders thinking of standing in the election to reflect on these priorities—because these complex, interconnected issues are holding back our community’s economic and social success.

Despite these challenges, businesses are optimistic that targeted reforms can release significant economic potential. However, we need our next cohort of Deputies to be willing and able to tackle these issues head-on.’

What’s Next?

We’ll be publishing the full report later this month, and hosting a briefing session for candidates on 2nd May. We hope this work helps inform better decision-making – both from those standing for office and those heading to the polls.

If you’d like to get involved, join the conversation at one of our upcoming events.