More than a third of Guernsey’s member states said they would vote against plans to raise income tax.

The island’s Policy and Resources (P&R) Committee has proposed a temporary 2p rise in income tax as the main measure of its 2025 budget.

BBC Guernsey contacted all 40 member states, 15 said they would vote against the scheme, only six committed to vote for it.

P&R deputy chairman Lyndon Trott said he had “every confidence that the states will make the right decision for the short and medium term future of the island”.

BBC Guernsey asked members for their views on some of the proposed amendments to the budget, which will be discussed at the States meeting starting on November 5.

These included whether they would support P&R’s income tax plans, Peter Roffey MP’s proposals for a package including a 5% Goods and Services Tax (GST) or Mark Helyar MP’s austerity proposals.

The majority, 16 members, has not yet taken a firm decision. Two members are expected to be off-island for the vote and one did not respond.

Thirteen MPs have said they will support Mr Roffey’s plans, which include lower income tax rates and social security reform.

Education, Sport and Culture (ESC) Chair Andrea Dudley-Owen labeled her GST package as “much fairer and strategically better for the island in the long term”.

Mr Helyar’s plans to freeze state budgets next year have the support of five member states, with 18 indicating they will vote against his proposal.

Charles Parkinson MP and Liam McKenna MP paid for a Facebook ad urging member states to vote against plans to raise income tax and introduce GST.

Mr Parkinson has proposed changes to Guernsey’s corporation tax system and is supported by Mr McKenna, who supports the proposal.

He said: “I’m not saying it’s the worst budget in history, but it’s definitely in the first.”

One member who said she was undecided about how she would vote on all three amendments was MP Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, who, along with MP Dave Mahoney, sent a dossier to state members on the impact of the P&R proposals and the scheme Roffey’s tax reform.

“It is clear from this analysis that an income tax package would make most households worse off,” she said.

“While the impact could be somewhat mitigated for lower-income households by restructuring social security contributions, most households would still be better off under the GST package.”

Four members, including deputy Simon Vermeulen and health and social care deputy chairman Al Brouard, indicated they “might” support the P&R plans but wanted to hear the debate first.

ETUC member Andy Cameron said he would not support any of the main proposals to raise taxes or cut spending.

He said more work needed to be done to fund savings through digital transformation before taxes were raised.

Both Alderney MPs told the BBC they were undecided on whether they would support any of the proposals in the budget and would listen to the debate.

Last year they supported the GST package of the erstwhile P&R committee.

In 2023, when MPs last debated reforming the island’s tax system, a proposal to raise income tax was rejected by 30 votes to 10.

It plans to introduce a GST they were also defeated by 25 votes to 15.