Democracy came to the tiny Channel Island of Sark this week, with voting for the first all-elected parliament in Europe’s last feudal state. The new constitution was introduced after years of feuding between the billionaire Barclay twins, owners of The Daily Telegraph and London’s Ritz hotel, and Sark’s authorities personified by its seigneur, the hereditary lord of the manor. The election result was a comprehensive defeat for the Barclays, who saw their modernisation manifesto rejected by the traditionalist majority among the 473 voters.

The response of the Barclays, whose candidates were largely trounced, has been to shut down their operations on the island. However, they appear to have no intention of selling their Sark property, which includes half the hotels and many shops on the main street. Shuttering those buildings will be a serious blow to an economy that relies on tourism for its income. It has also thrown 140 people out of work on an island with just 600 residents and no welfare benefits.