'Fallagate put me off bench'

DEPUTY Mary Lowe claimed that she had been made a scapegoat for Fallagate as the States unseated her from the top bench. Deputy Lowe, who had been implicated by some for her actions over the clinical block tender, but was ultimately cleared of a major role in the waste of £2.4m., was beaten by Social Security member Diane Lewis.

One of the longest-serving States members, Deputy Lowe waited a long time to lead a committee or department, and was not the nomination of Chief Minister Laurie Morgan when she took the Social Security job in 2000.

'I'm disappointed. Who wouldn't be?' she said afterwards. 'You give the job your all, you're bound to be disappointed.

'Some were looking for blood and because it was close last time 'she beat Deputy Jean Pritchard by just one vote in 2000', they worked on that. But that's democracy.'

Deputy Lowe said that she was now uncertain about her political future.

She was also disappointed over the rebellion when concerns had been raised about leadership within the Policy Council, but there had been no suggestions of concern about how ministers ran their departments.

She said that she would be a strong supporter of Deputy Torode as chief minister and believed he would do a good job.

'I'm very disappointed that I won't be working with him.'

Deputy Lewis, a States member since 2004, said that she had stood because she believed that, given the mood for change, not enough ministerial seats were being contested. She also believed that she could do the job, combining her financial knowledge from a lifelong career in banking with a caring attitude.