Tom Rylatt
2025 Guernsey election candidate

KEEPING OUR NEXT GENERATIONS ON-ISLAND

Swathes of young people are leaving Guernsey, brought about by the cost of housing, a shrinking rental market and the States’ chronic under investment in our island. Unless we stop this trend, Guernsey will suffer a long term economic and social decline.

I will therefore support:

  1. Backing first time buyers by implementing the ‘Additional Earned Allowance’, contained within the manifesto 'Our Plan for Guernsey: 2025-29 and beyond'.

  2. Strengthen the rental market. By putting in place incentives that will increase the supply of rental properties and setting out clear rights for landlords and tenants.

  3. Reform our university grant system to incentivise young people to bring their skills back home.

  4. I commit to meeting with the students of our schools and colleges regularly to ensure the next generation‘s voice is always heard by and represented in the States. If young people believe they have a say in the future, it's more likely they will stay for the future. We need to re-engage our next generation in the democratic process.

  5. Expanding the range of locally available post-18 opportunities through The Guernsey Institute.

  6. Guernsey must diversify its economy to offer broader opportunities for young people. Relying solely on a single white-collar profession is unsustainable, particularly in an era of AI-driven technological change. Our island's size and existing digital infrastructure position us well to become a hub for AI and technological innovation.