Ross Le Brun is Guernsey's new deputy-elect

Thursday, 30 April 2026 07:45

Veteran of previous election bids wins the first island wide by-election with 953 votes.

The results of the by-election came late, just before 1 this morning (30 April) as the count at Beau Sejour was manual.

Deputy-elect Ross Le Brun topped the poll with 953 votes.

Former deputy, Carl Meerveld, was second, with 891 votes.

Rob Harnish was the last of the 11 candidates, with 79 votes.

Turnout was low, at just over 17%.

The by-election was held following the imprisonment of former deputy and one time chief minister Jonathan Le Tocq and was budgeted to cost no more than £75,000.

Ross Le Brun has stood for deputy before and twice in the island wide elections where came 64th in 2020 and 60th last year.

In the last political term he was a non voting member of Employment and Social Security.

He says he was quietly confident while campaigning:

"People kept asking me if I was feeling confident and I didn't want to say I was as I didn't want to jinx anything and I didn't want to make myself look foolish if I didn't get in, as I've been there so many times before."

He ran his own business and is known for championing private enterprise and the arts, and has become a prominent chalk artist.

His manifesto promises fairness, especially for low income earners, investment in infrastructure and affordable housing.

Already, something that can only be put down to coincidence means deputy elect Le Brun may get a seat on Social Security.

It follows deputy David Dorrity stepping aside over issues with the committee making cost savings, which are rejected by its head, deputy Tina Bury.

Mr Le Brun says he is ready to give the next three years everything:

"The opportunity is there to be on a committee and I believe that's important.

"If I believe in something I won't let go, and I'll be a nuisance, and what I said during the election (campaign) you better believe I'll be working on it and by the end of this term there'll be something to come from my time."

The full list of results is as follows: