Speaking at Jersey Finance’s annual lunch yesterday, Bailhache said following the “success” of the Channel Islands’ Brussels office “the next stage in promoting and protecting our external interest is likely to involve an opening of an office in London”, however he did not specify whether this would be with Guernsey or not.
A spokesperson for the chief minister’s department said: “The opening of an office in London may form part of the next stage in promoting and protecting Jersey’s external interests. We would like to move forward in cooperation with Guernsey but the idea is still at an embryonic stage.”
In his speech, Bailhache added that the UK is Jersey’s largest trading partner and that relations with the UK government are “undoubtedly more important than any other political relationship” and that Jersey needs to “invest more than it has in the past in that important relationship”.
Bailhacahe’s comments come a week after the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, came under fire from Jersey Finance’s Geoff Cook for classing the jurisdiction as a tax haven. Cook hit back at Miliband, highlighting the financial contribution the UK’s Crown Dependencies make to the UK’s economy.
