[BBC News] Shock results in island election

[Newsbot]

Four established Onchan Commissioners lose their seats in the biggest surprise in the Isle of Man local authority elections.

 

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/...man/7366433.stm

[The Thriller]

Unlucky Buster, I was gonna vote for you but I was really really busy

[The Old Git]

Four established Onchan Commissioners lose their seats in the biggest surprise in the Isle of Man local authority elections.

 

I don't really see what was surprising about it - two we guaranteed to lose to lose their seats anyway as they number of seats was reduced by two. The big rate rise won't have helped the others

[fartypants]

Unlucky Buster, I was gonna vote for you but I was really really busy

 

Doing something really important I hope, like counting your legs!!!

[John Wright]

Well the LIB VANS got 14 out of 17 candidates elected. Is this a start

of a sea change in Manx Politics,

 

Certainly from a standing start before the 2006 election its quite an

achievement and no longer a one man PK band

 

BUT it still doesn't feel right

 

A Liberal party which is rabidly anti European and courts UKIP and go

look at the web site and the accountancy connections!

 

Mr Malarkey who is not a leader of men and setter of opinion but someone

who comes out with stuff which appears to aimed at someone further to

the right than UKIP, ie a Daily Mail common touch type, a proto rabble rouser?

 

Then finally the lack of frankness; they have never adopted a

constitution, elected leaders or adopted policy for the simple reason

they haven't had a conference yet.

 

Despite what they have said to the contrary

[WTF]

there is no point in going on about this or that party, they are all in the look out for myself party.

[The Thriller]

Unlucky Buster, I was gonna vote for you but I was really really busy

 

Doing something really important I hope, like counting your legs!!!

 

LoL, He does have alot of bottle though to come round our houses, even if he done it for a laugh.

[oldmanxfella]

A Liberal party which is rabidly anti European and courts UKIP and go

look at the web site and the accountancy connections!

 

For that reason alone as a Manxman I'd never vote for any of their candidates until they dump the UKIP connection and disclose who their backers are.

[sarahc]

Well the LIB VANS got 14 out of 17 candidates elected. Is this a start

of a sea change in Manx Politics,

 

Certainly from a standing start before the 2006 election its quite an

achievement and no longer a one man PK band

 

BUT it still doesn't feel right

 

A Liberal party which is rabidly anti European and courts UKIP and go

look at the web site and the accountancy connections!

 

Mr Malarkey who is not a leader of men and setter of opinion but someone

who comes out with stuff which appears to aimed at someone further to

the right than UKIP, ie a Daily Mail common touch type, a proto rabble rouser?

 

Then finally the lack of frankness; they have never adopted a

constitution, elected leaders or adopted policy for the simple reason

they haven't had a conference yet.

 

Despite what they have said to the contrary

 

 

And who are the financial backers? That's something we've never been told either.

[Ushtey]

I can assure you that if there are any secret backers, they didn't make themselves felt at the recent local elections. My campaign cost over £1000 which came out of my own pocket. Even the LV rosettes cost the candidates £1.50 each.

 

You are right though, there is an accusation the the LV doesn't have a clear structure of committees, nor a set of positions and recommendations on current events, such as flouridation, education, transport or the environment. But, that will change. All of the successful candidates have said they want to work together to put a structure in place that people can see in action, that makes the party more open and makes it easier for individuals to participate, particularly those who have one or two issues close to their heart but whom don't want to stand for public office.

 

I know it's easy to sit here and say these things, without action you won't believe it, I wouldn't either. But everything has to start somewhere. We now have a group of elected officials who want to work together. the will is there, the numbers are there, now we just need to get the structure to fit around it. There will be those who will never believe there isn't a shadowy conspiracy behind the party. But I would ask that you speak to individual members and judge them as people before tarring the whole.

 

For me, the difference in the LV party is that it is not a "vote for the party not the individual and everyone toes the line" group, but a collection of individuals who encourage debate and are keen to individually represent the people in their area whilst drawing on the support and knowledge of others. Personally I am not a fan of UKIP or the way they go about their politics, but I do recognise the right of others to choose for themselves. I would fight UKIP taking a formal position on the Island as we're not part of the UK. We may be Liberal, but we're not a UK political party. I don't agree with the UK party politics or the distance between the electorate and their elected officials.

 

Yes, it sounds like a party political broadcast for the LV party, but I can't think of a way to explain things without that.

[Declan]

What's the point of a political party, if they are all a bunch of individuals, without even common goals or principals?

[VinnieK]

For me, the difference in the LV party is that it is ... a collection of individuals who encourage debate and are keen to individually represent the people in their area whilst drawing on the support and knowledge of others. Personally I am not a fan of UKIP or the way they go about their politics, but I do recognise the right of others to choose for themselves. We may be Liberal, but we're not a UK political party. I don't agree with the UK party politics or the distance between the electorate and their elected officials.

 

Something that's always bothered me about Liberal Vannin is that they've consciously associated themselves with a long established political ideology such as liberalism, and by extension with liberal parties around the world (not least the UK's Liberal Democrats - going as far as to adopt a slightly altered version of their logo), but so far have given us little evidence of why this is an appropriate epithet.

 

What material there is on the party's policies is largely vague, and wouldn't seem out of place in the manifestos of a number of parties across the political spectrum, and the party philosophy seems to be little more than an extended rant about existing government incompetance (as opposed to detailing the guiding principals of the party). This all may seem a little picky, but when you call yourself a liberal and say you're in a liberal party, voters expect, well... a liberal, not simply "a collection of individuals who encourage debate" (which, after all, is a description that no political party would refuse).

 

I suppose what I'd like to know is this: What exactly do you and the party mean when you describe yourselves as "Liberal", and how do you fit in within the broader political philosophy of liberalism?

[Dunroamin]

Pray tell me what is wrong in the ideals of UKIP? It wants to keep the Uk for the Uk and stop the ever growing danger of a united Europe where the politicians can stick their noses into the trough with impunity.......

[Pat Ayres]

LIBERAL VANNIN PARTY

NORTHERN BRANCH

 

 

MEETS EVERY SECOND MONDAY IN THE MONTH AT

 

RAMSEY METHODIST CHURCH HALL WATERLOO ROAD

 

DOORS OPEN 7-45 PM

MEETINGS COMMENCE AT 8-00 PM

 

NEXT MEETING MONDAY 12TH MAY 2008

 

 

CHAIRED BY

NIGEL MALPASS

Bringing politics back to the people

 

EVERYONE WELCOME

 

 

Published by the Liberal Vannin Party, White Cottage, Groudle Glen, IM3 2EE

PETER KARRAN MHK

 

 

 

Exactly how open do you want us to be? Have you ever seen an invitation such as this from any standing politician on this island.

As Steve said, solid policies and agenda will evolve and you will see this happening shortly. It is admitted the principles we espouse are worthy and "(which, after all, is a description that no political party would refuse)."

You have to admit that 14/17 isn't a bad batting average for a first try, somebody must have confidence and that somebody is the people of the island.

Democracy rules.

[thesultanofsheight]

There will be those who will never believe there isn't a shadowy conspiracy behind the party. But I would ask that you speak to individual members and judge them as people before tarring the whole.

 

Personally I am not a fan of UKIP or the way they go about their politics, but I do recognise the right of others to choose for themselves. I would fight UKIP taking a formal position on the Island as we're not part of the UK. We may be Liberal, but we're not a UK political party. I don't agree with the UK party politics or the distance between the electorate and their elected officials.

 

Just to drop my ten-penneth in Steve. I think its different with you because I do think you'd have got in without LV backing (my personal opinion) but I do think that LV is not giving candidates the credibility is should be.

 

Now you are in there you really need to get LV sorted as a serious political alternative to the independent system. Lots of people have said to me that the UKIP thing really turned them off this time around. John Wright and other posters have mentioned it and I have to ask what insane thinking went in to allying with certain parts of UKIP in recent press statements? The values of that party stink and they are not in line with what you would expect from an independent democracy that has more Celtic and Norse heritage than UK.

 

Also the website is crap. It looks like a load of old toss and sells crappy t-shirts and LV clockls etc FFS. You also have links on there that don't seem to be compatibale with the political message you want to send out.

 

If you are looking for a new generation of MHK's at the next election they really need a big kick up the arse to start acting as a viable political party, not some UKIP test bed for political expansion.