It is September 2021, brand spanking new bleary eyed MHKs are waking up realising what they’ve done and knowing that they have to pick a new Chief Minister.
From there, only two men came forward as viable options, Alf Cannan and Dr Alex Allinson.
What was clear from their 2021 manifestos were that they have different ideas about politics and how the economy and society should run.
It was the classic steady hand on the tiller versus a time for change and reform.
Leadership
Even on their plans for how CoMin should be run, the two men differed, with Mr Cannan emphasising a collective, institutional approach, stating his role would be to provide “clear and collegiate leadership”, while Dr Allinson called for a “new style of leadership which is more open, more inclusive and less defensive”.
Dr Allinson also pointed towards a change in the island’s drug laws saying he wanted to re-classify Cannabis as a Class C drug sd a step to decriminalisation.
Economic
The two also had clear differences on how the economy should be run, with Mr Cannan at the time saying he wanted to offer stability and security, pledging to build on existing strategies.
Dr Allinson meanwhile was advocating for a decisive shift towards investment and equity.
It was “targeted growth in a transparent manner” and improving cross-government delivery versus using tax policy for social goals.
Now, five years on, it is that different opinion on how the economy should be run and ultimately the increase in the minimum wage that left to Mr Cannan telling Dr Allinson it’s time to go.
Wage Rises
Speaking to MHKs in recent weeks and months, it is clear that the two men have had different opinions on the minimum wage rise, something Mr Cannan’s lefter made clear when he said his former treasury minister going would “allow for a reset to be undertaken in respect of our approach to the economy”.
That letter indicated a clear rift at the top of government economic policy, with the Chief Minister stating “business has lost considerable confidence in the Government to listen to and understand their concerns”.
He directly linked this to his working relationship with Dr Allinson, writing, “you and I have diverged considerably on a number of policy matters since your appointment and that divergence is now too ingrained to recover ground”.
Partnership
Ultimately, the relationship between Chief Minister and Treasury Minister has to be a working, if not strong, one.
The last administration saw Mr Cannan work well with Howard Quayle where they both clearly knew their roles and agreed enough for it to work.
Sure it wasn’t the relationship we saw between Allan Bell and Eddie Teare, but it worked.
The good doctor wasn’t the man Mr Cannan really wanted, but David Ashford’s position became impossible after the fallout from the Dr Rosalind Ranson tribunal and so Dr Allinson was moved over from Enterprise.
In the end, it was an uncomfortable marriage between two very different character with very different political outlooks, the only surprise really is that it lasted this long.