The result was more comprehensive than expected, 23 votes against P&R and just 16 backing them, with Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, who had not confirmed speculation that she was angling to join the top committee, had it survived, abstaining.

Deputy Ferbrache had thought he was going to lose 22-18 and admitted that he was surprised at the vote.

‘Two or three people assured me as recently as a day or so ago that they would vote with us, and not only voted against us but spoke against us,’ he said.

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He said that ‘one person’ had been speaking to colleagues in advance of the debate.

‘Certain people absolutely, categorically assured me they were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me, and have changed their mind in the last 24 hours. I can do nothing about that. But I will always be sorely disappointed with them.’

Deputy Ferbrache, narrowly defeated for the P&R presidency in 2016, held the top office in the States for a little over three years.

He said that with the exception of one unspecified role he was now interested in, he would settle for being a ‘conscientious’ back-bencher for the next 18 months. He has previously indicated that he would likely step down at the 2025 election.

‘My life moves on. My greatest love, other than Guernsey and my family, is the law. And I’m going to do a lot more of that.’

He backed Deputy Rob Prow in the election to become the new P&R president, but he was defeated 21-19 by Lyndon Trott.

For: Deputies Blin, Burford, Bury, Cameron, De Lisle, de Sausmarez, Dyke, Fairclough, Falla, Gabriel, Le Tissier, Leadbeater, Matthews, McKenna, Meerveld, Parkinson, Queripel, Roffey, Soulsby, St Pier, Taylor, Trott, Vermeulen. Total: 23.

Against: Deputies Aldwell, Brouard, Dudley-Owen, Ferbrache, Gollop, Haskins, Helyar, Inder, Le Tocq, Mahoney, Moakes, Murray, Oliver and Prow and Alderney representatives Roberts and Snowdon. Total: 16.

Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller abstained.