It's the UK but different

The last time I looked, Guernsey was still a Crown Dependency and responsible for it’s own legislation. We have a degree of independence.
 
So, why do we have to keep following the UK?
 
Roadsigns must standardise to EU norms. Sentencing in our courts is compared to the precedents set by the UK. Our schools are guided by what happens in the UK.
 
Why?
 
If we are independent then let us be so.
 
Let’s keep the things that make Guernsey look like Guernsey and not try to imitate some market town in the South West of England.
 
People come to Guernsey because it is like the UK but different. If we keep trying to make the Island the same as the UK, then we lose our unique selling point as far as the UK market is concerned.
 
It’s not just tourism. If we follow UK sentencing policy then we will end up with the same results as the UK and we’ve seen what a great success that has been. UK prisons overcrowded and regular disregard for the rule of law.
 
If we want to deter certain types of crime in Guernsey then let’s use our sentencing policy as a weapon.
 
Singapore has some of the toughest sentencing in the world and guess what? It also has one of the lowest crime rates. Now I’m not suggesting that we bring in capital punishment but it does seem that harsh laws breed better compliance.
 
Our teachers train in the UK so we tend to follow UK methods and more or less a UK curriculum. This makes sense as our students sit UK exams and tend to go to the UK for tertiary education. Basing our education system on the UK isn’t wrong but a look at international league tables will suggest that if we’re looking for excellence then we need to look a little further than just over the horizon.
 
Or perhaps we just accept the inevitable slide into mediocrity albeit a few years behind our role model.