THE Commerce and Employment minister has resigned over Fallagate. And as he did so Deputy Stuart Falla launched a stinging attack on the Policy Council and the leadership of Chief Minister Laurie Morgan.

The man at the centre of the hospital clinical block tender withdrawal that cost taxpayers £2.4m. decided to stand down from the council yesterday, less than 24 hours after Health minister Peter Roffey.

Announcing his decision, Deputy Falla said that Deputy Morgan had made it clear in a private meeting in August that he wanted the Commerce and Employment minister to consider his position.

And the chief minister told the Wales Audit Office inquiry that he believed Deputy Falla’s political position was incompatible with his local business interests.

‘I do not wish to serve within a council led by an individual who does not have confidence in my ability to carry out my responsibilities in the best interests of government, of the States and of the island,’ Deputy Falla said yesterday.

‘In addition, I find that I cannot serve within a council that finds it difficult to function administratively or focus on discharging its mandated responsibilities with any consistency or competency, particularly when under stress,’ he said.

While this continued, he saw no alternative but to resign his ministerial position.

‘It is very clear to me that my skills are not appreciated, certainly by the chief minister and a couple of others,’ said Deputy Falla.

‘I have resigned from Policy Council and I’m not looking for the States of Guernsey to say ﾓI still love you” and ﾓyou can still stay”. There is no way back under the regime that is currently in place,’ he said last night.

‘If, in 15 months’ time, there is a new chief minister and deputy and group of ministers, if my services can add value I will seriously consider it.’

He intends to spend the next 15 months on the backbenches and said he was not eyeing the chief minister’s job.

‘It’s not something I particularly fancy myself. I think Commerce and Employment ‘minister’ was a cracking job and I can’t think of a job that better suits my talents. Somebody else will now have that pleasure,’ he said.

He had no confidence that other ministers would bow to mounting calls from the public and politicians to step down.

The chief minister, Treasury minister Lyndon Trott and the rest of the council have shown no sign yet that they are willing to go.

‘I don’t believe they will change their minds.

‘I hope that they will take the signals I’m sending them, and I assume Peter Roffey is sending them, and they lift their game, reassess what they are trying to do and do a better job,’ he said.

He had hoped the rest of Policy Council would have accepted joint accountability and resigned en masse.

‘If others choose not to, that can only be their choice,’ he said.

He accused Deputy Morgan of failing to take ownership of finding a solution once problems arose with the clinical block tender, and of confusing the issues.

‘In these situations the number two takes over. Numbers one, two and three did not want to find a solution,’ he said.

‘I have been a member of a whole variety of teams in my life but I have never been part of a team that is less of a team than this is.’