Carl Meerveld
Carl P. Meerveld | |
|---|---|
| Deputy of the States of Guernsey | |
| Assumed office 2016 | |
| Constituency | Guernsey (island-wide) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Guernsey |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Committees | States Assembly & Constitution Committee (President) |
Carl P. Meerveld is a politician from Guernsey who has served as a deputy in the States of Guernsey since 2016.[1] He serves as president of the States Assembly & Constitution Committee, as of June 11, 2025.[2]
Early life and career
[edit]Before entering politics, Meerveld worked internationally for 30 years, establishing and managing companies in Asia and the United States.[1] He set up companies in Asian markets and managed Asia operations for three investment fund research companies.[1]
Meerveld was born and raised in St. Sampson parish on Guernsey. After working abroad and starting a family, he returned to St. Sampson with his wife and two sons.[1] He moved back to Guernsey seven years before his first election in 2016.[1]
Political career
[edit]Elections
[edit]Meerveld was first elected to the States of Guernsey in the 2016 Guernsey general election.[1] He was re-elected in the 2020 Guernsey general election[3] and is standing for re-election in the 2025 Guernsey general election.[4]
Committee roles
[edit]Meerveld serves as president of the States Assembly & Constitution Committee.[2] In this role, he has overseen the introduction of Simultaneous Electronic Voting, which records all members' votes.[5] He has also worked on establishing an independent Commissioner for Standards to evaluate complaints against serving Deputies.[6]
Earlier in his political career, Meerveld served as vice-president of the Education, Sport and Culture Committee until December 2017, when he resigned following controversy over a £10,000 public relations campaign.[7] He also served as Chair of the Administrative Decision Review Board.
Renewable energy advocacy
[edit]Meerveld has been involved in offshore wind energy development proposals for Guernsey's waters. In October 2022, he authored the Offshore Wind Scoping Report as part of a group of 15 deputies researching renewable energy opportunities.[8] The report identified potential wind farm sites covering 610 km².[9]
He chaired the Policy & Resources Committee's offshore wind sub-committee until September 2023, when he was replaced following disagreements over his public statements about potential revenue from offshore wind projects.[10]
Position on goods and services tax
[edit]Meerveld has opposed proposals to introduce a goods and services tax (GST) in Guernsey. He was involved in the "Red Ribbon Campaign" that organized protests against GST proposals in 2023.[11][12] The campaign included a march in January 2023 that drew significant public participation.[13] Following public debate and opposition campaigns, GST proposals were rejected by the States Assembly twice in 2023.
Other political positions
[edit]Meerveld has expressed support for various transparency and accountability measures, including reinstatement of the Public Accounts Committee, introduction of a Freedom of Information Law, and establishment of an independent Ombudsman.[1]
Media attention
[edit]In April 2020, Meerveld delivered a speech in the States chamber where he rapidly listed fruits and vegetables he was growing in his garden during a debate on the Island Development Plan.[14] The speech received local media coverage.[14]
Personal life
[edit]Meerveld lives in St. Sampson with his family and has two sons.[1] He grows fruits and vegetables on his property.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h "Deputy Carl Meerveld - States of Guernsey". gov.gg.
- ^ a b "States elects new committee presidents". bailiwickexpress.com. October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Carl Meerveld - Candidate - Election 2020 Guernsey". web.archive.org.
- ^ "Carl Meerveld - Election 2025 Guernsey". election2025.gg.
- ^ "Contre! Electronic voting fails at the first attempt". bailiwickexpress.com. September 7, 2022.
- ^ "Deputies set to debate their code of conduct again in May". bailiwickexpress.com. February 10, 2022.
- ^ "Sticking a hat over a grenade - Guernsey's Carl Meerveld on education". itv.com.
- ^ Team, Bailiwick Express News (October 18, 2022). "LISTEN: Scoping reports on renewable energy "makes the compelling case" for acting now". Bailiwick Express News Guernsey.
- ^ "Wind farm is proposed". guernseypress.com. October 18, 2022.
- ^ Fitzgerald, Sue (September 28, 2023). "Policy and Resources Committee appoints new chair to sub-committee exploring wind energy". Channel Eye.
- ^ "Anti-GST rally tomorrow". bailiwickexpress.com. January 20, 2023.
- ^ "Anti GST protests planned". islandfm.com. January 6, 2023.
- ^ "Deputies urge P&R to drop GST plans". bailiwickexpress.com. January 23, 2023.
- ^ a b c "WATCH: Deputy Carl '50 veg' Meerveld". Bailiwick Express News Guernsey. April 24, 2020.
External links
[edit] | This article needs additional or more specific categories. (June 2025) |