A man in a suit walks down a street.
Pictured: Deputy Andrew Niles will have to step down from his role as Vice-President of Economic Development to take up his new role on P&R.

Deputy Andrew Niles has been elected to Guernsey’s top political committee.

He replaces Deputy Gavin St Pier, who resigned from his role as Vice President of Policy and Resources after his recent arrest and release without charges.

Deputy St Pier was nominated for re-election to P&R but a majority of his political colleagues rejected that idea.

Deputy Niles got 23 votes during Wednesday’s States meeting, beating Deputy St Pier (11) and Deputy Haley Camp (5).

A former finance professional, Deputy Niles was elected to the States last June after standing on a platform of “fiscal discipline”.

He told the States he wanted to help P&R deliver its ‘super priorities’, but said the “most-important” thing was for the States to focus on “accountability and fiscal balance within our economy”, through savings and a “competitive new” tax regime.

Vice-Presidencies

Deputy Niles was first elected to the States at last year’s general election before subsequently being voted in as Vice-President of Economic Development – a role he will now have to give up.

He is also Vice-President of the States’ Trading Supervisory Board (STSB), a role he said he intends to carry on with.

A former Elizabeth College student, Deputy Niles is President of the Old Elizabethan Association and Young Enterprise Board Member.

A man in a suit on his phone walks down street. Next to him another photo of a woman with short grey hair and sunglasses also walking down a street.
Pictured: Deputy Niles beat Deputies Gavin St Pier and Haley Camp to become the newest member of P&R.

Full results

All 40 current Deputies – including the two Alderney representatives – got to vote in the election.

P&R’s remaining members had already given their public support to Deputy Niles, after saying they would not be backing Deputy St Pier.

Deputies had earlier agreed to have their votes recorded in this election.

States elections are usually decided by a secret ballot but this one off recorded vote was intended to give the public transparency in “truly exceptional” circumstances, said its proposer, Deputy Mark Helyar.

The full results were as follows:

  • Deputy Andrew Niles – 23 votes
  • Deputy Gavin St Pier – 11 votes
  • Deputy Haley Camp – 5 votes
  • Spoiled papers – 1

SACC role

Despite stepping away from P&R, Deputy St Pier will continue to serve on the States Assembly and Constitution Committee (SACC), the committee responsible for the “smooth and proper” running of the States.

Sarah Hansmann-Rouxel, President of SACC, said they had discussed Deputy St Pier’s role after he was arrested, but felt it was still appropriate for him to sit on the committee.