Resignation at Environment

At its first meeting yesterday at South Hill Deputy Jackie Hilton is understood to have resigned in protest at not being made vice-president of the committee.

The committee members are saying nothing and the crisis was discussed behind closed doors with the department’s officers and the clerk asked to leave.

But the JEP understands that the row erupted because committee president Senator Philip Ozouf wanted committee newcomer Deputy Jerry Dorey as his number two and that Deputy Hilton took that as a sign that Senator Ozouf did not have confidence in her.

She walked off before the meeting had even started.