Who Will Be The New Chief Minister?

[Albert Tatlock]

I see the Isle of Man online poll is strongly in favour of someone called None of the Above. I didn't hear him announce his intention to stand. Anyone know who this N O T Above person is?

 

Don't forget the polls are irrelevant. We have no say in who is Chief Minister - its up to Tynwald now so whatever the IOM Online poll says is simply not relevant.

 

Over 60% saying none of the above is not good in terms of public opinion, but its not public opinion that counts don't forget that.

The IOM online polls are irrelevant IMHO - I'd bet people can sit all night clicking and push the vote in either direction if they are sad enough. Never comes back with 'you have already voted' etc.

 

More freekin dumbocracy!

[Juan Kerr]

I see the Isle of Man online poll is strongly in favour of someone called None of the Above. I didn't hear him announce his intention to stand. Anyone know who this N O T Above person is?

 

Don't forget the polls are irrelevant. We have no say in who is Chief Minister - its up to Tynwald now so whatever the IOM Online poll says is simply not relevant.

 

Over 60% saying none of the above is not good in terms of public opinion, but its not public opinion that counts don't forget that.

The IOM online polls are irrelevant IMHO - I'd bet people can sit all night clicking and push the vote in either direction if they are sad enough. Never comes back with 'you have already voted' etc.

 

More freekin dumbocracy!

 

Maybe.

 

But you do have to go back into your PC, erase the cookies, and log back in to trigger another valid vote.

 

Are people that determined?

 

Seems to me the people are trying to speak, and I think that two additional candidates might put their names forward over the next week.

 

We cannot determine who is CM, but what has happened shows that MHK's are maybe unsure also. We can't have a situation where they go to Legco again, but there must be some more canditates out there willing to be judged by their peers.

 

Of the bunch John Shimmin is a clear winner, but its not a brilliant bunch and I'm sure he would relish some serious opposition.

[manxchatterbox]

does the person who is CM need to exude a sense presence and gravitas??

[When Skies Are Grey]

does the person who is CM need to exude a sense presence and gravitas??

 

Is that a rhetorical question?

[Juan Kerr]

does the person who is CM need to exude a sense presence and gravitas??

 

In my opinion the current CM does, the previous CM didn't.

 

To be fair you can put people on a course for that sort of thing now. Come back in 3 months a changed person.

 

John has the potential, but maybe needs to focus on being an individual which you can't do as a Minister on strict orders to toe the political line from above.

 

If you are setting the political line then maybe it is easier to appear a leader.

[manxchatterbox]

does the person who is CM need to exude a sense presence and gravitas??

 

Is that a rhetorical question?

 

er does that mean its a serious one?? yes

[Gladys]

Answer to MCB, of course they do! John Shimmin, IMO, does. Mr C is too full of his own gravitas and I think Mr R, whilst otherwise a worthy candidate, loses in this bunch because he is not Manx. Whether that is viewed as racist or not, I do think it is important as we want to preserve our national identity, particularly in our figurehead.

[manxchatterbox]

does the person who is CM need to exude a sense presence and gravitas??

 

In my opinion the current CM does, the previous CM didn't.

 

To be fair you can put people on a course for that sort of thing now. Come back in 3 months a changed person.

 

John has the potential, but maybe needs to focus on being an individual which you can't do as a Minister on strict orders to toe the political line from above.

 

If you are setting the political line then maybe it is easier to appear a leader.

 

I'd like to see JS come back in 3 months and see if he stood out in a room of suits, maybe they woul dgive him shoes with sole inserts to make him taller...otherwise how would you see him...

[Albert Tatlock]

Answer to MCB, of course they do! John Shimmin, IMO, does. Mr C is too full of his own gravitas and I think Mr R, whilst otherwise a worthy candidate, loses in this bunch because he is not Manx. Whether that is viewed as racist or not, I do think it is important as we want to preserve our national identity, particularly in our figurehead.

Well said.

[Gladys]

Miss your point there MCB. Would any of the three stand out in a 'room of suits' as you put it?

 

JS has the gravitas, intelligence and commitment to be CM, as does SR. But JS, in my view wins because of his Manx credentials, which in this context are very important.

[Juan Kerr]

does the person who is CM need to exude a sense presence and gravitas??

 

In my opinion the current CM does, the previous CM didn't.

 

To be fair you can put people on a course for that sort of thing now. Come back in 3 months a changed person.

 

John has the potential, but maybe needs to focus on being an individual which you can't do as a Minister on strict orders to toe the political line from above.

 

If you are setting the political line then maybe it is easier to appear a leader.

 

I'd like to see JS come back in 3 months and see if he stood out in a room of suits, maybe they woul dgive him shoes with sole inserts to make him taller...otherwise how would you see him...

 

Thats a bit unfair - maybe you need the rope of being CM for those skills to come through.

 

I'd like to see Alan Bell come forward at the next round to.

 

Of the three John is my favourite, Cannan second but age is against him as he's older than the outgoing CM, and Rodan is third purely for the reason Glady's gave. He's very capable but not being manx may go against him. I'm not sure though and as I say its not up to us.

[Lonan3]

I find it very sad that an accident of birth is seen as a more important qualification than competence. Maybe that's what's meant when saying we get the government we deserve.

I've nothing against JS, he's a good politician (who polled the second highest number of votes in his constituency) or against SR (who received over 70% of the votes cast in a largely Manx constituency), but I think the people who insist that JS is a preferred candidate purely and simply because he's Manx while SR was born in Scotland, are showing the kind of narrow-minded bigotry for which, regrettably, our island is famous.

[mama]

John Shimmin gave Alan Bell a lot of moral support during the Mount Murray enquiry at Strathalan.

[Lonan3]

John Shimmin gave Alan Bell a lot of moral support during the Mount Murray enquiry at Strathalan.

You mean he didn't turn his back on him?

[Albert Tatlock]

I find it very sad that an accident of birth is seen as a more important qualification than competence. Maybe that's what's meant when saying we get the government we deserve.

I've nothing against JS, he's a good politician (who polled the second highest number of votes in his constituency) or against SR (who received over 70% of the votes cast in a largely Manx constituency), but I think the people who insist that JS is a preferred candidate purely and simply because he's Manx while SR was born in Scotland, are showing the kind of narrow-minded bigotry for which, regrettably, our island is famous.

It is not bigotry to offer support and encouragement to a Manx born candidate to lead a Manx born parliament. IMHO, it is an opportunity to demonstrate that the island can produce it's own very capable leaders, demonstrating to the world that we do not have to 'outsource' leadership.

 

But since the candidates have similar capabilities, given a vote, at this time in our history I would rather err more on the side of Manx culture. IMHO, if anything it has never been more inportant to disconnect the island from automatically linking to legislation being implemented in the UK (in all areas from road pricing/taxing and speed cameras to a raft of anti civil rights legislation such as ID cards), currently being driven by extremists and lobbyists and based predominately on fear and misinformation.

 

Not that I have a vote of course, but if I did then personally, on policy terms alone, I would be stuck between a 'rock and a hard place' between John Shimmin and Steve Rodan. One example is that John Shimmin believes in an all island speed limit, whereas Steve Rodan's manifesto talks of tighter controls in mainly residential areas.

 

I have nothing against Steve Rodan, in fact I think he would do just as good a job and has stated the need to not adopt certain UK policies such as privatisation. I like John Shimmins stance too on certain issues. I admire any politician taking a stance, but only if that stance is based on a proper assessment of the facts of the argument. People might like politicians 'to stick to their guns' and make difficult decisions - but just because they do that doesn't make those decisions right. Sticking to decisions for the sake of it has caused more problems in the past (especially for the UK) than most people actually realise yet, and in IMHO this attitude should be left firmly in the military where it rightly belongs.

 

Unfortuntely we have a limited choice at present, reflected by the 'none of the above' preference on a variety of other 'unofficial' surveys on the island and many of the comments here. Whichever candidate is voted in will invariably lead to decisions about which many of the Manx people will not be happy, of that we can be sure.