Cliff le Clercq, Richard Renouf's only opposition for the post of St. Ouen deputy, has been caught lying about his credentials as a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Despite his membership expiring two years ago, he used their name and logo on his website and claimed membership at the electoral hustings last Tuesday - despite being warned to cease by the Advertising Standards Agency last January, who said they were "concerned" by le Clercq's "apparent disregard" for advertising regulations. le Clercq claimed that the loss of membership was due to issues with his bank account.
Now, as I said the other day, I found le Clercq surprisingly credible at the hustings on Tuesday, seeming to have the right idea on gun rights and the reasons young people feel disenfranchised. I wouldn't vote for him - Renouf, for all his faults, is a pretty reliably progressive and experienced candidate with a record of effective scrutiny, who has also been a very good constituency politician that genuinely makes an effort to represent his parishioners. le Clercq may have the right views on certain issues but I sense in him a strong whiff of the old St. Ouen conservative who will slide straight into bed with the establishment as soon as he gets his bum one of those nice red seats. This latest scandal only raises more concerns - can you really trust someone who can't manage the workings of his own bank account with public finances? The man is, after all, a shrink (sorry, "life coach") - great if you want someone to feel better about their life, but unconvincing compared to Renouf's experienced legal background and former role as a Procureur de Bien Public.
Is this really a man you want representing you in the Assembly - "apparent disregard" for advertising regulations, a man whose lack of response to the rulings of a regulator the ACA found "concerning", and someone who can't seem to even manage his own bank account?
I'll stick with Renouf, thank you.
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