Rob Callister

[thesultanofsheight]

14 minutes ago, Roger Mexico said:

But a sitting MHK will be judged on what they have done as well as what they intend.

So as I said pretty much nothing then other than pointless media noise about nothing and online holiday resumes. 

[foxdaleliberationfront]

I'm really not sure the Isle of Man Electorate vote for people because of their policies. Well perhaps in niche situations where perhaps someone feels they have  been wronged and Candidate A. says they will stand up for them. 

I think people generally vote for people who they know or are family friends. 

[Rushen Spy]

As boring as the blog is, I don't see anybody stepping forward as a better alternative to Rob in his constituency. He's almost certainly going to re-win in the next General Election and Julie Edge probably won't.

[Ham_N_Eggs]

41 minutes ago, foxdaleliberationfront said:

I'm really not sure the Isle of Man Electorate vote for people because of their policies

Exactly they vote for people they know or have heard of. That's probably why Rob Callister started the blog shortly before the election to raise his profile further. Don't forget he'd never actually faced a ballot before the 2016 general election.

1 hour ago, Roger Mexico said:

But a sitting MHK will be judged on what they have done as well as what they intend.

That's not really true on the Island is just a popularity contest always has been. Exhibit A: six simple words for you: Father of the House Graham Cregeen.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Ham_N_Eggs
I can't count

[Roger Mexico]

3 minutes ago, Ham_N_Eggs said:

That's not really true on the Island is just a popularity contest always has been. Exhibit A: Five simple words for you: Father of the House Graham Cregeen.

Well that's six words and the rapid turnover in the Keys in the last two elections (itself proof that it's not just about personal popularity) meant that it only took him 10 years to get in that position rather than the 45 it took Kenneth Clarke.  But as I've said before, Cregeen only really scraped in because the vote was thinly spread among so many candidates.  There wasn't a great fondness for him in 2011 either, just the lack of alternatives meant he got back.

[Donald Trumps]

I thought young Mr Watterson was /is father of  the house

Perhaps I have been misled by MOPR

[foxdaleliberationfront]

52 minutes ago, Donald Trumps said:

I thought young Mr Watterson was /is father of  the house

Perhaps I have been misled by MOPR

He's Father of his own self important position 

[John Wright]

Both Watterson and Cregeen were elected in 2006, so they are the longest serving members. Seniority for FoH title will depend on which was sworn in first.

[John Wright]

3 minutes ago, Grounds Keeper Willy said:

Didn’t Cregeen do I one stint as MLC though? 

No

[Roger Mexico]

1 minute ago, John Wright said:

Both Watterson and Cregeen were elected in 2006, so they are the longest serving members. Seniority for FoH title will depend on which was sworn in first.

According to the abstruse order in which they used to do it (it's now alphabetical by constituency, but it was some weird historic thing starting with Glenfaba) Malew and Santon came just before Rushen at the end of the list in 2006.  So it is Cregeen.

(I have the horrible feeling that we are the only two people who care about this.  And we don't care about it very much).

[Non-Believer]

The fact that Tynwald could devote any time and consideration to such an appointment is the most worrying thing. It's not like there aren't any other pressing issues.

[Andy Onchan]

8 hours ago, thesultanofsheight said:

Onchan really seems to be the hillbilly capital of the island. 

We'll come on over, you'll feel right at home 

[Roger Mexico]

5 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

The fact that Tynwald could devote any time and consideration to such an appointment is the most worrying thing. It's not like there aren't any other pressing issues.

While Tynwald is normally capable of devoting vast amounts of time on things that don't matter while passing stuff that needs a lot of examination on the nod, it doesn't happen with the 'appointment' of the Father of the House.  This simply happens by default and is just a convention in countries whose parliamentary tradition is influenced by Westminster.  The swearing in happens anyway (as it does with every parliament in the world) and all that a politician then needs to do to become Father of the House (or female equivalent) is to keep getting elected and not die.

The only responsibility that usually goes with the role is to chair the first session of the House after an election before a new Speaker (or other Presiding Officer) is elected.  In some countries this goes or did go to the oldest member, usually it's the longest-serving one.  So Cregeen was in the Chair in 2016.  Technically he had to be elected as Acting Speaker, presumably so whoever who was longest-serving wasn't automatically in the Chair and prevented from standing for Speaker.  Cregeen then presided over the election of Watterson, which as the latter was unopposed, even Cregeen could manage.

[John Wright]

8 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

According to the abstruse order in which they used to do it (it's now alphabetical by constituency, but it was some weird historic thing starting with Glenfaba) Malew and Santon came just before Rushen at the end of the list in 2006.  So it is Cregeen.

(I have the horrible feeling that we are the only two people who care about this.  And we don't care about it very much).

The historic method dates back in its origins to the sheadings and parishes. They always counted clockwise from Glenfaba ( senior sheading because it contains Tynwald ). This is reflected in the manorial rolls, indices of the deeds registry, layout of Woods atlas, Kneen’s Manx Place Names, seniority of precedence of Coroner’s and all sorts of other arcane features.

You're wrong, Roger, I don’t care, but I do know. Subtle, I know, but different.

[thesultanofsheight]

9 hours ago, Andy Onchan said:

We'll come on over, you'll feel right at home 

I’m sure I would