Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood has accused the Chief Minister of ‘cowardice’ and ‘shocking’ behaviour after she was ‘sacked’ as Infrastructure Minister without warning during a brief WhatsApp call.

In a strongly worded statement issued following Monday’s dramatic cabinet reshuffle, Dr Haywood rejected claims that she had stepped down voluntarily, saying the Chief Minister’s description of events was ‘misleading’.

‘Firstly I’d like to clarify that I did not ‘step down’ from the position as Minister for the Department of Infrastructure,’ she said.

‘I was sacked, with no prior warning or notice. I did not stand down and I had no intention of doing so.’

Dr Haywood said she was informed of the decision during a ‘brief WhatsApp call’, adding that the Chief Minister had already told other members, including Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Tim Glover, that she was resigning before speaking to her directly.

‘I consider this discourtesy to be typical of the Chief Minister’s tenure,’ she said. ‘Not to inform me before he had told other backbenchers was poor form.’

She described being dismissed by telephone rather than face to face as ‘a mark of the quality, or rather lack thereof, of the current Chief Minister’.

‘Whether driven by his cowardice or desire to catch the 8am news headlines, or maybe a blend of both, I consider his poor behaviour to be shocking, though not unsurprising,’ Dr Haywood added.

The comments follow a chaotic day in Manx politics which saw two senior ministers leave CoMin.

Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson was also made to step down just weeks before delivering his fourth Budget, with Dr Haywood’s departure following shortly afterwards.

They were replaced by Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas and Glenfaba and Peel MHK Tim Crookall respectively.

In his statement announcing Dr Haywood’s exit, Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said ongoing friction over infrastructure policy meant matters ‘can no longer be left to resolve themselves through protracted political arguments’.

In a letter to Dr Haywood, he said she had been asked to step down so that ‘government can pursue a renewed approach’ to issues including the roll-out of 20mph speed limits and the Local Government (Amendment) Bill.

However, Dr Haywood said all the policy areas cited by the Chief Minister had already been debated and agreed by the Council of Ministers.

‘During the brief conversation I was told that he wanted a change of direction over speed reduction on residential streets, the Local Government Amendment Bill and the waste strategy,’ she said. ‘I would like to stress that all these matters had been discussed and voted on in Council of Ministers.’

She accused the Chief Minister of abandoning commitments in the Island Plan and ignoring Tynwald resolutions when they became ‘tricky to deliver’.

‘This administration has been characterised by a number of U-turns,’ she said, adding that the Council of Ministers chamber would ‘shortly be fitted with a revolving door’.

Dr Haywood also raised concerns about the concentration of power, saying: ‘The island doesn’t need a dictatorship and giving the Chief Minister more power would be a dreadful mistake.’

Despite the criticism, she thanked Department of Infrastructure staff for their support, saying she had sought to lead the department towards ‘better governance and clear accountability’.

Reaction to Monday’s reshuffle has been divided, with criticism from some MHKs and support from business groups.

The Chief Minister is due to make an urgent statement to Tynwald this morning (Tuesday) at 10am.