Gavin St Pier's fresh arrest sparks round of political maneuvering and then confirmation that he faces competition in his bid to win back a seat on P&R
- Deputy Gavin St Pier and his wife Jane were arrested Friday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and an offence under the 1948 Reform Law, their second arrest since December in a probe linked to their campaign about paediatric services.
- St Pier resigned from Policy & Resources Committee on Saturday and immediately announced he would stand again for the seat, but P&R confirmed he will not be the committee's preferred candidate.
- First-term Deputy Haley Camp has announced her intention to run for the vacant P&R seat, with Deputy Marc Laine also mentioned as a potential contender; the earliest vote can occur May 20.
- Questions have been raised about why St Pier resigned from P&R but remains on the States Assembly and Constitution Committee, which oversees member conduct rules.
Fallout from Deputy Gavin St Pier’s arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office is continuing with rivals lining up to fight him for a seat on Policy & Resources.
He was arrested on Friday alongside his wife Jane on suspicion of misconduct in public office and an unspecified offence under the 1948 Reform Law as part of a continuing police probe which saw them arrested in December for harassment.
They deny any wrongdoing.
The case has its roots in a campaign about pediatric services in Guernsey.
Policy & Resources’ four other members met on Teams late on Friday to be briefed about the arrest - Deputies Steve Falla and Yvonne Burford were off island.
They agreed unanimously that Deputy St Pier should resign from the committee and they would use their regular meeting today to decide the next steps.
On delivering that message on Saturday morning the President Lindsay de Sausmarez was told by Deputy St Pier that he had already decided to resign from the committee.
Subsequently Deputy St Pier announced his intention to immediately stand again for the seat.
‘Further to Deputy St Pier’s decision to resign from Policy & Resources, the other four members will shortly invite expressions of interest from any States member who wishes to be considered as the Committee’s preferred candidate,” said Deputy de Sausmarez late this afternoon.
“For clarity, Deputy St Pier will not be the committee’s nomination.'
Former P&R vice-president Deputy Mark Helyar urged has St Pier to reconsider his decision to run again.
First term deputy Haley Camp has announced her intention to stand for the seat, with Deputy Marc Laine also being spoken about as a contender.
The earliest a vote can take place is 20 May.
Deputy Garry Collins has questioned P&R’s moves and also pointed to Deputy St Pier’s continuing membership of the States Assembly and Constitution Committee, which oversees the rules governing members conduct.
“I don’t see why P&R needed to pass judgement at all and as said issue a media release at all, but I just find it odd he resigned from one and not both roles, as the Assembly has given him twp jobs and he states he wants a fresh mandate, SACC is an important role too,” Deputy Collins said on X.
Sacc is chaired by Deputy Sarah Hansmann Rouxel, with Deputies Burford, John Gollop and Tom Rylatt as the other members.
Deputy Rylatt is also a member of the Forward Guernsey political party which also Deputy St Pier represents.
He issued a joint statement earlier today with the other party member in the States, Rhona Humphreys.
They said that it was right that the allegations were properly investigated.
“Due process must be respected by all involved, including the principle that everyone, whatever their status, is entitled to be treated as innocent until proven guilty, in light of which it would not be appropriate to prejudge the outcome.
“It is important that the States of Deliberation has the opportunity to consider his position in light of these developments.
"His decision to step down from the Policy & Resources Committee and seek a fresh mandate,we believe, provides a clear and transparent way for that to happen.
"It enables the Assembly as a whole to reach a considered view, while respecting due process, on whether it wishes him to continue contributing to the work of the States in his role while the investigation continues.”
In April 2022, Deputy St Pier first went public and used parliamentary privilege to name the MSG pediatrician Dr Sandie Bohin during a States debate where he said that his family was subject to a safeguarding investigation after complaining about one of their daughter’s medical care in 2015.
Two and a half years later, after an appeal, he was formally reprimanded for breaching the States members’ code of conduct during that speech.
He has continued to campaign on behalf of families, but faced another States debate on his conduct in November.
This time members rejected a recommended 25 day suspension which followed an investigation into whether he broke the new code of conduct during a phone call with a national journalist where he discussed safeguarding concerns and Dr Bohin.
Guernsey Police said: "On Friday 1 May, Guernsey Police arrested a 59-year-old man and a 59-year-old woman on suspicion of misconduct in public office and an offence under the 1948 Reform Law.
"These two individuals were first arrested on suspicion of harassment in December 2025. These new arrests directly relate to the same investigation.
"Inquiries into all matters are ongoing and Guernsey Police will not be commenting any further at this stage."
The Reform Law governs how the States of Deliberation is constituted, how elections are conducted, and how deputies and other people connected to them must behave in certain contexts.
It includes conduct when being investigated by the Commissioner for Standards, with offences including interference with witnesses, providing false or misleading information, obstruction and destruction of documents.
Q&A
Q: Why was Deputy Gavin St Pier arrested?
A: Deputy St Pier and his wife Jane were arrested on Friday on suspicion of misconduct in public office and an offence under the 1948 Reform Law. This is their second arrest, following a December arrest for harassment, all related to the same investigation concerning their campaign about paediatric services in Guernsey. They deny any wrongdoing.
Q: What happened after Deputy St Pier resigned from Policy & Resources?
A: After resigning from P&R on Saturday, Deputy St Pier immediately announced he would stand again for the seat. However, P&R's four remaining members confirmed he will not be the committee's preferred candidate and will invite expressions of interest from other States members. Deputy Haley Camp has announced her intention to run, with the earliest vote scheduled for May 20.
Q: What is the background to this case involving Deputy St Pier?
A: The case has roots in Deputy St Pier's 2022 use of parliamentary privilege to name paediatrician Dr Sandie Bohin during a States debate about a safeguarding investigation involving his family's complaint about their daughter's medical care in 2015. He was formally reprimanded in 2024 for breaching the code of conduct, and faced another debate in November regarding a phone call with a journalist where he discussed safeguarding concerns.
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