Former Johnson adviser urges candidates to be bold

Boris Johnson's former spin doctor has encouraged candidates in Guernsey's general election to "be over the top" to stand a chance of getting elected to the States.

Will Walden, who is from Guernsey, told the Your Voice, Your Vote podcast: "All candidates need to think short, sharp and pithy to get noticed."

The nomination period for candidates to stand in the island's general election opens at 09:00 BST and closes at 16:30 on 14 May.

More than two thirds of the 38 sitting deputies were expected stand, with at least six of them set to stand down.

Mr Walden, who worked with the former prime minister for more than a decade, told the podcast incumbent candidates could have an advantage due to already having a public profile.

However, he warned: "It's also a problem as people may hate what they've done in the last four years."

Mr Walden, who worked on Johnson's campaigns to become the Mayor of London and prime minister, said: "What makes good political campaigning isn't different from Boris to anyone else, it's about knowing your audience.

"It's much more about them than you.

"These days people don't trust politicians, they trust people next door, they trust people like them."

Candidates have a limit of £3,000 to spend on campaigning in the general election and they can give part of their allowance to political parties.

Mr Walden said it was important to have "a really clear, concise and affirming message".

"What works are things like: 'get Brexit done', 'take back control', 'yes we can', 'make America great again'.

"What doesn't work, Theresa May 'strong and stable', 'Britain stronger in Europe' which doesn't have the same affirming message."

He said there would be "very few opportunities to stand out" if a predicted 75-100 candidates were to stand at the general election.

"My advice to candidates would always be, be over the top.

"If you start a manifesto with I've worked in Guernsey Finance all my life, or my mother always said that those who don't toast Guernsey gâche shouldn't be trusted, I wonder which of those messages is more memorable?

"The point is you have a short window to stand out and within that you need to be authentic."

The BBC will publish a full list of the candidates for Guernsey's general election on the evening of May 14.

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