This interview is dedicated to the memory of Alan Richardson, who tragically died suddenly, aged 65 years, on 27 July 2021, before his time, much loved and very much missed by all his family and many friends.
The Channel Islands are an archipelago located in the English Channel just off the French coast of Normandy. The Isle of Man is located in the Irish Sea. While all of these islands geographically make up part of the British Isles, they are almost independent countries in their own right.
The Channel Islands are made up of the Bailiwick of Jersey and the Bailiwick of Guernsey (the latter containing all the inhabited Channel Islands other than Jersey). Although they are often referred to together, they are two jurisdictions independent of each other, and Alderney and Sark furthermore have significant autonomy from the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Governed outside the structures of the UK, the islands have been administered separately from the Kingdom of England since the late thirteenth century and their supreme political and judicial oversight is by the Privy Council, not by the British parliament or courts.
Although the main language on the Channel Islands is English, historically Norman French was spoken and it is still a legislative language on the islands. Manx was the main language of the Isle of Man historically. While the Channel Islands had their special relationship with the Crown from Norman times, the Isle of Man acquired that relationship only in 1765.
The Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man are known as Crown Dependencies:
The Crown's personal representative is the Lieutenant Governor, who is appointed by The King on the advice of local representatives and who has delegated power to grant Royal Assent to legislation dealing with domestic matters.
Besides appointing a Lieutenant Governor, the British monarch appoints bailiffs to preside over—and censor—legislative sessions in the Channel Islands, though not on the Isle of Man.
The many of us who have not visited the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man are often led to believe that they are islands for the wealthy. As a well-known corporate tax haven, Jersey in particular has been named as the seventh most aggressive in the world, with Guernsey coming in at 15th place and the Isle of Man in 17th place. But what is life really like for British passport holders trapped on a diminutive island with minimal services and no recourse to Westminster or British public services? With a cost of living that most islanders cannot keep up with, increasing numbers of native Jersey, Guernsey and Manx people are choosing to leave their homes to move to the UK. Their island dreams have turned into nightmares.
Jersey Public Health director Professor Peter Bradley has reassured islanders that there have been no ‘confirmed’ deaths from Covid–19 injections in the Channel Islands and that there is no cause for concern. He advises that any concerns be reported via the Yellow Card scheme, which is run by the MHRA in the UK (i.e., outside the jurisdiction of Jersey).
In this interview, Debi Evans catches up with Danni Hervé, who runs the group for the vaccine injured and bereaved on Jersey, VIBJSY. Danni is herself vaccine-bereaved. Her father, Alan Richardson, a previously fit and healthy man, ‘died suddenly’ at 65 years of age after he was given a Covid–19 injection. Since then, Danni has been fighting on behalf of the many vaccine-injured and vaccine-bereaved in the Channel Islands who have been, until now, ignored at home and invisible to the rest of the world.
What is life like in a Crown Dependency? How many islanders are suffering from vaccine injury? How many vaccine-related deaths have there been on the various islands? We learn that the devil is in the detail, and, shockingly, those who reside in a Crown Dependency have no access to the one-off Vaccine Damage Payment that is available to those living in the United Kingdom (itself paltry, as previously covered by UK Column).
Ignored and invisible until now, VIBJSY members are desperate to bring their plight to the attention of the world. Calling on the Chief Minister of Jersey to recognise vaccine harm, the group are still struggling to have their voices heard. What did the islanders make of the announcement of a Jersey Covid–19 Independent Inquiry, appropriately entitled High Expectations?
What can the British and overseas public do to help? Can you help in any way, or would you like to support the vaccine-damaged on Jersey? You can contact VIBJSY by e-mail (vibjsy@proton.me), Instagram or Facebook.
Please share this video widely and if you like what we do, please think about becoming a member. Thank you.