[lbo-talk] Sark: the history of capitalism contracted into a week

[James Heartfield]

On the tiny island of Sark the decision to abolish feudalism was only taken this year, when hereditary seats on the island's legislative chamber, the Chief Pleas, were augmented by an elected council. Much of the pressure for the change came from Sark's nascent capitalist class, the Barclay twins, who bought the neighbouring island of Brecqhou and built a tax-free castle there, before going on to invest in the island, in hotels and restaurants. The Barclays bank-rolled the campaign for democratisation, though in truth most people thought it would be a good idea - even the hereditary seigneur Michael Beaumont accepted the change.

Unfortunately, the Barclays were not satisfied with the people getting the vote, and let their choice for the best representatives be known in a brochure much as you might see published by the board of a company before a shareholders' meeting. They approved of many candidates, standing but denounced others as having a 'socialist streak' or being 'fundamentalist-taliban'.  The Sarkers were not impressed, and voted down most of the Barclay-supported candidates, and elected most of those they disapproved of. This bitter fight was over less than 500 votes cast on the island (and that was almost a 10 per cent turnout).

The Barclays announced the day after the election that they were disinvesting from the island. Their spokesman told the BBC news that the Sark islanders could not expect to snub the Barclay twins without there being consequences. One hundred and fifty people are to lose their jobs - a substantial proportion of the workforce. Capitalism's car-crash with democracy, all played out in a week.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5338151.ece