2112 Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 The NPM has an article on this ‘study visit’ to Westminster. It interviews Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood, who says they watched PMQs yesterday. Two MLCs and 8 MHKs went. No doubt a visit to all the great capital landmarks were on the cards. I’m afraid that the optics do not look good, our politicos are fiddling whilst their constituents are facing hunger, cold and insecurity. I’m sure many islanders would love a study visit, subsidised by the taxpayers. I’m sure they travelled by Loganair, whose London Heathrow service are subsidised by the Manx Taxpayers. Im sure many residents haven’t the funds to get off the rock. 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A fool and his money..... Posted November 3, 2022 Author Share Posted November 3, 2022 2 hours ago, 2112 said: The NPM has an article on this ‘study visit’ to Westminster. It interviews Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood, who says they watched PMQs yesterday. Two MLCs and 8 MHKs went. No doubt a visit to all the great capital landmarks were on the cards. I’m afraid that the optics do not look good, our politicos are fiddling whilst their constituents are facing hunger, cold and insecurity. I’m sure many islanders would love a study visit, subsidised by the taxpayers. I’m sure they travelled by Loganair, whose London Heathrow service are subsidised by the Manx Taxpayers. Im sure many residents haven’t the funds to get off the rock. https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/mhk-reflects-on-westminster-study-visit/ Part of the visit is to watch Prime Minister's questions. That's ten flights, ten hotel rooms, ten food and expenses claims, to watch something which has been televised freely for over 30 years! It's a CPA trip aimed at new and inexperienced parliamentarians, presumably then with (inexperienced) delegates from all over the commonwealth. Sounds like a networking and influencing dream. I can see Brexit being reversed by Christmas and the new wind farm plans for the Steam Packet route being ripped up for good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anyone Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 PMQ’s is on the telly every day. Bit of a bear pit really , I don’t think going to see it live would help anyone but I’m probably wrong again and it does. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twitch Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 44 minutes ago, A fool and his money..... said: https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/mhk-reflects-on-westminster-study-visit/ Part of the visit is to watch Prime Minister's questions. That's ten flights, ten hotel rooms, ten food and expenses claims, to watch something which has been televised freely for over 30 years! It's a CPA trip aimed at new and inexperienced parliamentarians, presumably then with (inexperienced) delegates from all over the commonwealth. Sounds like a networking and influencing dream. I can see Brexit being reversed by Christmas and the new wind farm plans for the Steam Packet route being ripped up for good. Sounds like a school field trip for GCSE Politics students. 3 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A fool and his money..... Posted November 3, 2022 Author Share Posted November 3, 2022 It's a junket pure and simple. I know Stu has tried to justify it as Statesmen networking, and fair play to him for engaging with us on the subject btw, and I'd loved to be proved wrong, but show me a single tangible benefit from the thousands spent on this trip and I'll eat my hat. Is it really too much to expect that parliamentarians to whom we've paid the thick end of three quarters of a million to over the last year would already have, or have gained independently, a basic working knowledge of a parliamentary system which they view as so integral to ours? 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anyone Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 20 minutes ago, A fool and his money..... said: It's a junket pure and simple. I know Stu has tried to justify it as Statesmen networking, and fair play to him for engaging with us on the subject btw, and I'd loved to be proved wrong, but show me a single tangible benefit from the thousands spent on this trip and I'll eat my hat. Is it really too much to expect that parliamentarians to whom we've paid the thick end of three quarters of a million to over the last year would already have, or have gained independently, a basic working knowledge of a parliamentary system which they view as so integral to ours? No , you expect too much. They start out with the best of intentions but then …. All of them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A fool and his money..... Posted November 3, 2022 Author Share Posted November 3, 2022 Just now, Anyone said: No , you expect too much. They start out with the best of intentions but then …. All of them. Sadly I'm beginning to agree. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 (edited) 9 hours ago, A fool and his money..... said: It's a junket pure and simple. I know Stu has tried to justify it as Statesmen networking, and fair play to him for engaging with us on the subject btw, and I'd loved to be proved wrong, but show me a single tangible benefit from the thousands spent on this trip and I'll eat my hat. Is it really too much to expect that parliamentarians to whom we've paid the thick end of three quarters of a million to over the last year would already have, or have gained independently, a basic working knowledge of a parliamentary system which they view as so integral to ours? Some politicos are so locally Manx entrenched and think the world begins and ends in the Isle of Man. Have any of our politicos left the island before for a bucket and spade holiday? When you have parish pump politicos, ex Douglas Corpy politicos and ex Manx Radio presenters/newsreaders, along with some who just above Village idiot status, whilst some are Village idiots. How can you seriously expect this lot to take a serious view, they can’t influence other jurisdictions and Westminster certainly won’t take any notice of their views. Perhaps it would have been better (and cheaper) if these clowns had stayed on the island, and had a training course from those two (know it all and probably experts on CPA/Westminster), David Ashford and Rob Callister. Edited November 4, 2022 by 2112 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manx Resident Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 On 11/1/2022 at 5:04 PM, Manx Resident said: So, how will the success of the trip to Westminster be judged and how will the GMP be informed of its success?…….. 18 hours ago, 2112 said: The NPM has an article on this ‘study visit’ to Westminster. It interviews Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood, who says they watched PMQs yesterday. Two MLCs and 8 MHKs went……… Michelle Haywood MHK the first to put her head above the parapet and to provide a lame justification for the trip with no mention of any tangible benefit 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 2 hours ago, Manx Resident said: Michelle Haywood MHK the first to put her head above the parapet and to provide a lame justification for the trip with no mention of any tangible benefit Justification I suppose for having a London Heathrow link, but whether it justifies subsidising is another matter - as it’s ‘commercially confidential’. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Peters Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/3/2022 at 9:21 PM, A fool and his money..... said: https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/mhk-reflects-on-westminster-study-visit/ Part of the visit is to watch Prime Minister's questions. That's ten flights, ten hotel rooms, ten food and expenses claims, to watch something which has been televised freely for over 30 years! It's a CPA trip aimed at new and inexperienced parliamentarians, presumably then with (inexperienced) delegates from all over the commonwealth. Sounds like a networking and influencing dream. I can see Brexit being reversed by Christmas and the new wind farm plans for the Steam Packet route being ripped up for good. No, watching PMQs was 30 minutes out of a three day trip. Did I enjoy it? No - as commented previously I hate business trips and would rather stay at home. Do I think it was worthwhile in my role as an MHK and for the IOM in general? Absolutely, if only for the meetings with the Speaker, his deputy and a number of MPs and Peers. But I don't expect anyone here to believe that it wasn't an orgy of living high on the hog at the taxpayer's expense or a cheap Xmas shopping trip. Sorry, I climbed out of the bucket there... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finlo Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 6 minutes ago, Stu Peters said: No, watching PMQs was 30 minutes out of a three day trip. Did I enjoy it? No - as commented previously I hate business trips and would rather stay at home. Do I think it was worthwhile in my role as an MHK and for the IOM in general? Absolutely, if only for the meetings with the Speaker, his deputy and a number of MPs and Peers. But I don't expect anyone here to believe that it wasn't an orgy of living high on the hog at the taxpayer's expense or a cheap Xmas shopping trip. Sorry, I climbed out of the bucket there... Go on, show us your Harrods shopping bag 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A fool and his money..... Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share Posted November 5, 2022 3 hours ago, Stu Peters said: No, watching PMQs was 30 minutes out of a three day trip. Did I enjoy it? No - as commented previously I hate business trips and would rather stay at home. Do I think it was worthwhile in my role as an MHK and for the IOM in general? Absolutely, if only for the meetings with the Speaker, his deputy and a number of MPs and Peers. But I don't expect anyone here to believe that it wasn't an orgy of living high on the hog at the taxpayer's expense or a cheap Xmas shopping trip. Sorry, I climbed out of the bucket there... And what benefit does meeting the speaker, his deputy and a number of MPs and Peers have for the IOM in general? What issues did you discuss, what deals did you do, when will we see the benefit? Nobody has suggested that it was an orgy of living high on the hog, merely that it was a complete waste of taxpayers' money, which, given the present increasing financial predicament many of those taxpayers are facing, is tone deaf and misjudged to put it mildly. Nobody is trying to get you back in a bucket either. Fair play to you for standing and being elected, you have my respect for that. But you're the one who's choosing to defend the trip. Good on you for doing it publicly and engaging with us, I respect that too. The criticism of the trip is not aimed at you personally (at least my criticism isn't), and as you have said, you're far from the worst offender. It has nothing to do with crabs either. You can go on as many business trips as you like, I'm happy you're doing well. I do think though that when you expect myself and my increasingly impoverished fellow taxpayers to foot the considerable bill, that it's not unreasonable for us to expect to know what the benefit is. That's exactly the kind of common sense, no bullshit expectation on which you were elected. It's very nice that you met some people while you were there, but where, when and in what form will we see the benefit of our investment? 6 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 Our Tynpotwalders didn’t need to go to Westminster to see Mr Speaker, Lindsey Hoyle MP Chorley, who I believe is a ‘friend’ of the island and has been here on visits a few times. Again any meetings could have been conducted on zoom. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BriT Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 5 hours ago, Stu Peters said: But I don't expect anyone here to believe that it wasn't an orgy of living high on the hog at the taxpayer's expense or a cheap Xmas shopping trip. Sorry, I climbed out of the bucket there... Oh come on Stu we all know that these trips to Westminster all end up at Spearmint Rhino where you get to snort a line out of the bum crack of some voluptuous Ukrainian stripper. Please don’t spoil the illusion. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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