Guernsey States: Soulsby and Helyar join senior committee

Committee president Peter Ferbrache described those elected as a "balanced team of different skills and abilities"

Two senior politicians and two newly elected deputies have been voted on to the States of Guernsey's Policy and Resources Committee.

The members - Deputies Heidi Soulsby, Jonathan Le Tocq, Mark Helyar and David Mahoney - were proposed by committee president Deputy Peter Ferbrache.

They were elected ahead of Deputy Al Brouard, who was proposed by Deputy Gavin St Pier.

He received 11 votes, while the others all received at least 30.

Mr Brouard has served in the States since 2004 and had served on the committee in the previous States term.

'United'

Mr Le Tocq was re-elected to the committee, having served on it since 2016, and is set to continue his work on external affairs.

Mrs Soulsby, who previously served as health and social services minister and is a senior member of The Guernsey Partnership Of Independents, will be vice president and deputy chief minister.

Mr Helyar, head of the Guernsey Party, will take responsibility for the committee's relationship with Alderney and Sark and said he was committed to "generating consensus".

It was a message echoed by Mr Mahoney - the managing director of a trust company, owner of a small business and director of the Guernsey Rugby Academy - who said they "need to be united" and he would provide "an internal check and balance... an impartial and independent face".

The committee is responsible for co-ordinating policy and allocating and managing States resources.

Elections for the rest of the committee positions in the States of Guernsey are due to continue on Monday and Wednesday.