Premier Jennifer Smith yesterday blasted a story in The Royal Gazette .

The front page article quoted a UK source who claimed Ms Smith was attempting to have Governor Thorold Masefield recalled.

But Ms Smith, who said she was used to the "slurs and arrows of the Press... especially as a member of the PLP'', angrily denied the claim and said the "standard of journalism (had) reached a new low''.

"This Government has not asked for the Governor to resign,'' she said.

According to the original article, Ms Smith discussed the issue of recalling Mr. Masefield with Foreign Office junior Minister Baroness Symons at a meeting in London last month.

But the alleged sources admitted they were not sure whether Ms Smith wanted an immediate recall or whether she wanted Mr. Masefield to be replaced at the end of his three-year term.

Speaking in the House of Assembly yesterday, Ms Smith described the article as "sleazy journalism masquerading as factual reporting''.

And a later editorial based on the "unsubstantiated story from an unnamed British source'' only served to "comment on gossip'' and unfairly targeted the Queen's representative, she said.

Ms Smith said she felt it necessary to "speak up for someone who was not in the Island and not in a position to defend himself''.

And she said Government would use the live radio broadcasts from the House "so that people hear first-hand'' what their representatives did.

"We will continue to use this forum to communicate with the people,'' she added.

Premier Jennifer Smith `Suffering the slings and arrows'