The Isle Of Man Needs Political Parties

[Andy Onchan]

I am presently much more concerned about the calibre of the people who currently are either MHKs or wannabe MHKS.

 

Raising the standards of those elected and applying is to me a much pressing need than having party politics as would haveing the current incumbents split into two or three political parties really improve the current house? Looking at the candidates who are standing for LVP if they were elected on mass and required to be Ministersin a gOvernment it would worry be greatly.

 

So as I said lets not worry yet about needing political parties and how to get there when in my view there is a much more pressing need for raising the standard and calibre of MHKs and MLCs. These guys are meant to lead and "run" the country yet how many would you be confident they would capable of running a substantial business or holding down a seior position in a large company.

Can you define in more detail what you are looking for in a prospective MHK? There's lots of talk on here about the calibre and standards required to be an MHK but no one has really said what they think those should be.

[EORH]

The starting point to my last post, and the one from which it developed, was that wherever we all stand on the idea of political parties, without a grouping of people coming forward to promote and push through a broadly shared new agenda, nothing will happen. Whatever our aspirations, they won't be achieved under the current system. As the old Chinese proverb goes 'One man cannot push the cart on his own' and I can't think of a single modern polity where change and reform has been enacted without some sort of coalition of the willing. To take your argument above, no-one is suggesting that politicians be forced to join a party or that voters be compelled to vote for them. How on earth could that possibly work anyway ? And in your second paragraph, how do you propose to reform LegCo ? Many of us have been trying for years. I repeat my main point that wherever you stand on whether parties are desirable or not, we will achieve nothing until enough people through thoughtful concerted action, create the synergy to carry the Island forward.

I think Judy has explained it about party politics,what we are all forgetting is,there has been party politics for the number of years that Co-Min has been in control,when your a minister and in Co-Min,it's toe the line or your out,so Tony was running a sort of quasi party system of independents,party politics on the lines of LVP or Labour and Mec Vannin,are not the same as Tony's Co-Min,if people who are members of a proper party system did not agree with something,they have the right to vote against it,it wouldn't mean they would be thrown out,that is true democracy.

Give the party system a chance,if they mess it up,they can be voted out,the same as the way the last lot messed up,now they too can be voted out.

[Lost Login]

Can you define in more detail what you are looking for in a prospective MHK? There's lots of talk on here about the calibre and standards required to be an MHK but no one has really said what they think those should be.

 

Somebody who is good at expessing themselves but somebody who I had confidence in that they had a sufficiently rounded knowledge of the world around them and how it worked that if they were given a draft bill to read much of the time they would be able to understand or pick up the pit falls. Or if given a briefing or spun an idea they could again understand and spot obvious merits and defects and how it relates to other matters. Basically somebody who I had confidence could see the merits of both sides of an argument and understand the strengths and weakness of both positions. I have grave doubts many in the house or standing could do that.

 

I live in Middle and one of my prospective MHK's has stated that at the last election they did not understand how the political system was in the IoM and tought it was the same as in the UK. If that is a reflection of their knowledge and interest in the world around them I struugle to see how they can be expected to see how what they might come across as an MHK might fit into the world around them

 

I would also like someone who was prepared to be unpopular and make unpopular decisions in public because they are the right decisions. Have any of the current members the cuts to take on the Unions say over Whitly council terms and conditions. Presently we have a big hole in our economy. The way to fill is more income, i.e raise taxes or reduce costs i.e. redundancies and or reduced pay and conditions in both public sector and private sector where it is directly supported by Govt e.g building. Both those would be unpopular and one or other will probably be required. Possibly even both.

 

Do candidates admit this or even raise the point? In general no. We get bland answers about growing and diversyfying the economy as if basically doubling it over the next 5 years is readily achievable. Or they say they can not say until they are in Government or an MHK and they can look at the books.

 

Basically I want somebody with some balls and who gives the impression they have a modicum of intelligence and commonsense.