EVENTUALLY they cracked. Within 48 hours of the first minister breaking ranks, Treasury minister Lyndon Trott’s decision to quit pushed his colleagues overboard too.

And shortly after 2pm, Chief Minister Laurie Morgan bowed to the inevitable and announced that they were all going.

Ministers had been meeting in whispered huddles all morning while the States was debating waste disposal.

Deputy Trott had shocked his colleagues with his overnight decision and Deputy Morgan revealed that the two had agreed to stick together.

‘I have to tell you that I have always said that I would stand by Deputy Trott whatever decision he came to and he was kind enough to say the same to me.

‘So the decision has been taken today of the remaining ministers that we will all offer our resignations over the next day or two.’

He denied that pressure from backbenchers had swayed them, but it is possible that Deputy Trott was influenced by three – a majority – of his Treasury colleagues signing the letter wanting the ministers to go. Others were also facing rebellions.

Deputy Barry Brehaut, who led the ‘rebels’, said: ‘It’s been a very difficult atmosphere for everyone over the last few weeks but people were in untenable positions. It should have happened some time ago.’

Both Deputies Trott and Morgan left their press conference with a sideswipe at Commerce and Employment minister Stuart Falla. Deputy Trott, who read out his resignation letter, was critical of Deputy Falla’s alleged use of commercially sensitive information he was sent by the council’s secretariat.

Deputy Morgan paid tribute to Deputy Falla’s ability, but said that a conflict of interest with him had always been a possibility, and so it had proved.

The ministers and Bailiff Geoffrey Rowland met at the end of the sitting to discuss a way forward, but there was no information forthcoming as to how the States would deal with the resignation debates and elections.