Britannia Radio

Barclay  Bros, shut down Sark interests

The billionaire Barclay brothers are closing businesses in Sark, with
the loss of about 100 jobs - a sixth of the Channel Island's population.

The jobs are in hotels, shops, estate agents, restaurants and building
firms.

Sir David and Sir Frederick want radical electoral reforms on Sark and
object to the hereditary posts of seigneur and seneschal remaining.

Sark's first election to choose a democratic government for nearly 450
years was held on Wednesday.

Election recount

Preliminary results showed that not many of the pro-reform candidates
had been successful and it looks like the recount will reveal the Chief
Pleas will have a majority of elected representatives who do not want
change.

A recount is currently under way because several candidates vying for
the final seat came within just a few votes of each other. The results
are expected later.

The people of Sark are reaping what they sowed... they only have
themselves to blame
Gordon Dawes, advocate for the Barclay twins

The seigneur is the head of the government, while the seneschal is
Sark's chief judge and the president of the Chief Pleas.

Advocate Gordon Dawes, who represents the Barclays, said that he was not
entirely surprised that some Barclay-owned interests had been closed
down on Sark.

"The people of Sark are reaping what they sowed the day before," he
said.

"They only have themselves to blame. They could have cooperated with
Barclays Investment but they chose to obstruct it.

'No support'

"It was clear the Barclays were clear on their commitment to the island
with support - they got no support at all.

"Sark doesn't appear to want or appreciate the Barclays' investment and
so it doesn't have it.

"The island cannot at the same time treat the Barclay family in the way
that it has and expect them to continue investing large sums of money
into its economy."

According to Mr Dawes, the businesses that the Barclays have shut down
are operations that would normally be closed over the winter.

"Sark is going back to where it was before the Barclay brothers were
there," he added.

The 73-year-old twins, who own the Telegraph Group, have other interests
in the Channel Islands - in 1993 they bought the neighbouring island of
Brecqhou.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/guernsey/7778245.stm