TRANSPORT Minister Guy de Faye was the biggest casualty of the night.

The former journalist crashed out of the States, finishing ninth out of 11 in St Helier No 3. His total of 359 votes was beaten by three sitting Deputies and five newcomers. The 53-year-old became the second ministerial victim of the elections, following Education Minister Mike Vibert’s defeat in the Senatorials last month.

While sitting Members are normally favour-ites to hold on to their seats — only three others lost theirs — last night’s results gave ministers just a 50% success rate in the elections. The deeply unpopular £110m incinerator replacement, the late renewal of the bus contract and the controversy over the Bel Royal roadworks all helped to put an end to Deputy de Faye’s six-year career.

He said: ‘I’m pretty disappointed after three years of significant achievement. Nonetheless, I am proud of what has been done. We’ve got the best bus service that we have had for a long time, the incinerator is finally sorted, and there have been many smaller projects we have been able to push through.’

Asked what the results say about the first three years of ministerial government, Depu-ty de Faye defended his colleagues. ‘I don’t think that the fact that two ministers have lost their seats is any reflection on the success or failure of ministerial government,’ he said.

‘My personal view is that the executive side of ministerial government has been largely a big success and has achieved good results for the benefit of Jersey. If there is an area that needs improving, it is Scrutiny, which
in many respects has been a negative force that has caused immense difficulty.’

That may be so for Deputy de Faye, who clashed often with the Environment Scrutiny panel, but in dumping both him and his assistant minister, De-puty Jacqui Huet, the voters sent out a clear message. And it is a message that will not be a welcome one to Treasury Minister Terry Le Sueur — himself a former St Helier No 3 De-puty — who is hoping to inherit the mantle of Chief Minister.

Besides the rejection of ministers, last night brought in more anti-GST Members — certainly enough to sway the deadlock on exemptions in favour of taking the tax off food.

Looking to a future outside the States, De-puty de Faye said that he did not know what was next. ‘There was no “Plan B”, but it’s generally my experience that when one door closes another one opens,’ he said.

• Picture: Deputy Guy de Faye contemplates an uncertain future. Picture by Jon Guegan (00603535)