Declan

When they bring my account details up it's on the screen.

People are lucky if Manx Telecom shop staff speak to them. I am. If you can't remember my first name or don't know it, "love" or "buddy" or "duck" is far less passive aggressive than "sir". And another thing when I begin a call by saying "Hi I'm Declan", it's downright rude to call me "Sir" or "Mr. Surname" especially if you can't be bothered to pronounce my surname correctly.

Which is why I say ... "MHKs need to explore how he intends to make this work before voting for him..." People seem to be too quick to right it off as impossible, when I think we should look at whether those with other committments can be helped to take these roles. Personally, I think people are focusing on trivia, when the reason he shouldn't be an MLC is the job he did as an MHK.

You've forgotten Jon Joughin

@2112 - we want effective politicians. I don't think that's measured by a stop-watch. In fact, if busy-bees rushing around doing all sorts of work at high pace to look like they're effective is what our politicians aspire to be then that would explain a lot of grandiose schemes we've had in recent years.

I'm guessing your answer was no?

I suppose I start from a position that I don't see the point of having LEGCO, but I severely doubt any LEGCO member does 50 hours a week. However, if he can do his 50 hours in the evenings or by spreading it out over the weekend, what's the problem? Besides, LEGCO is mostly reading documents - it can be done at home in the evenings. We need effective representatives not those that practice presenteeism. I certainly worry about banning anyone with health issues or young families or who cares for an elderly relative just because of some Victorian concept of hard work.

Presumably though, a lot of the scrutiny work can be done remotely and paced throughout the day around other commitments. Meanwhile, an MHK will need to attend constituency meetings, visits to schools and other facilities, a department member would need to attend meetings in the department more regularly than a scrutiny committee member. Plus the time to actively campaign for re-election itself might have been too much for his family commitments. MHKs need to explore how he intends to make this work before voting for him, but I don't think family commitments should be a bar to this role, and it feels a little discriminatory if it was.

I suppose Rob feel like the lad who’s turned up for early for training every week, helped put the cones out and not been picked for the first team. Now the manager and half the first team have left and his mate is in charge and he’s still in the Combi.

I would worry about Quayle seeking a LEGCO post so soon after standing down as CM. It would look very much like dodging the electorate, then wanting to scrutinise his successor.

Having trouble sleeping?

I've certainly seen someone I know is banned from purchasing alcohol using the self-service tills at M&S.

Let's hope the policy of backfilling your replacement's old job doesn't lead Quayle to a new career as a late night shock jock.

Has Alf announced the COMIN comby team of board leaders, departmental members yet.

Rob's mistake was in the content of his blog, not the idea of a blog itself. Rob's was a Pooterish diary of events that happened to him. It was midly interesting once to see a day in a life of an MHK - but every week in such detail was comic. Making occasional blog posts to let constituents know what their thoughts on major issues - explain why they've voted in a particular way is what Rob should have been doing. I also like Stu Peters's plan to do video updates to constituents on the issues that he thinks concerns them.