A thread on the Barclay Brothers and first democratic elections on Sark

Great day for democracy?

The short of it appears to be "you won't let us buy control of your island, so we're going take our ball and go home, oh and by the way we're closing everything we own and laying you all off".

Shows the danger of monopolies, I guess. Sark won't do THAT again.

Barclay Brothers nearly as baleful influence on the UK as Murdoch IMO.

Although Sark isn't part of the UK!

In August 1990 an unemployed French nuclear physicist named André Gardes attempted a singlehanded invasion of Sark, armed with a semi-automatic weapon. The night Gardes arrived he put up signs declaring his intention to take over the island the following day at noon. He was arrested by the island's volunteer Constable, while sitting on a bench, changing the gun's magazine and waiting for noon to arrive.

"Everyone thought this election was going to be a bit of fun"

democracy! "just a bit of fun"!

"The people of Sark have sent the Barclays a clear message and they feel they cannot work in a place where there is such an anti feeling against them.

What, they don't want big business having a direct influence on government? BURN THEM!

(not that it doesn't happen here of course, but it's rather less blatant)

No, it appears they want their feudal "lord", the seigneur, Michael Beaumont and his representatives to still rule them - triumph for democracy!

Well, why are they going to democracy at all? A Sarky Revolution? (no doubt Wiki would tell me, but it's down for me at the mo)

Those Scorpions been causing trouble again?

If only this had been 1948 instead of 2008 we'd have gotten an Ealing comedy out of it. Alastair Sim to play the seigneur, Sid James and Alfie Bass as the Barclay brothers.

It still is '48 on Sark - 1848

Think the Barclays made a lot of noise about wanting elections. I also think there are more people in my building than there are on Sark.

I read this and really couldn't come down on either side. The Barclays are an odd couple who seem to have done this less because they want some semblence of democracy in the island but more so they can drive around on Sark (which they do despite it being illegal) and so they wouldn't have to pay some bizarre feudal like tithe to the seigneur. They wanted to BE the seigneur basically.

Anyone read Mr Pye?

I remember seeing it on TV. Derek Jacobi playing himself.

Haha, most likely. Although never forget that he did manage to add a stutter to his award winning (thanks to the stutter) portrayal of Claudius.

Good book though (Mr Pye that is although I, Claudius is no slouch).

The Barclays wanted to do this so they could have some willing stooges who would allow them to let them secede and make their own tiny little island fiefdom.

But the stooges proved more willing to secede to their existing tiny little (sic) island fiefdom.

It still is '48 on Sark - 1848

Definitely time for a revolution then!

If only the Barclays had been Argentinian and decided to set up shop in the Falkland Islands in 1982...

Suggest they move to Tristan da Cunha

I loved the duo he had with Maarten van Regteren Altena.

As the say in Glasgow, Honsinger Honsong

they feel they cannot work in a place where there is such an anti feeling against them
didn't stop them at The Scotsman. Or Telegraph.

Bloody so called Scots who bugger off to London first chance they get!

Hang on a minute...