Coronation Ceremony

[La Colombe]

Ah ok, thanks. 

[Stu Peters]

Some reasonable questions so let me clarify my thinking (which may be fundamentally flawed but I doubt it).

From the genuine idealism of being a candidate, one soon comes to terms with some political home truths and has to modify personal expectations. I never expected to set the world alight as an MHK, knowing going in that a sole member has limited pull. You have the options of trying to sway opinions and policies quietly and on a consensual basis, or you can spend more of your time playing to the gallery, presumably to ensure re-election. It bothers me that the majority of people seem to mistake that latter approach for action, when in fact it's just white noise.

The allegation that the civil service decides policy is wrong. They certainly play a part in the process and their favoured options may best serve their own interests from time to time, but it's CoMin and Tynwald that decides. One of the problems is that as a small society we have people who started at the bottom who are now running things. In some cases that works for us as the person has a vast amount of shop floor experience. In others, not so much.

I've mentioned before but for the avoidance of doubt, I'm not looking forward to a gold-plated IOMG pension. I was over 55 when Manx Radio made all the presenters redundant (and immediately took us back on as freelancers, which I always thought a bit sniffy) so I took my occupational pension then (2012) and used the lump sum to equip a commercials studio. It meant I couldn't go back in to the Government pension scheme when I was elected. I enjoy the Tynwald salary, but it's not the lottery win that some on here claim, and is commensurate with the workload and responsibility involved.

To Thommo's point, I'm not unduly worried about surgeries. The world is moving on from people being prepared to queue up in a chilly church hall to complain about the state of their roads and prefer to fire off an email or a message. Unlike the UK our phone numbers are published too.

Non-Believer hits the nail in many ways, people usually only get involved in politics that affect them directly and adversely. They think we voted the Liverpool and Prom overspends through lightly because we'd been told to, or because we'd become assimilated into the machine, but neither is true. At times like these, you consider all the options and end up choosing the 'least bad' one.

Offshoremanxman is wrong. There IS a point in engaging with your MHK, who CAN make a difference. I've had some great results, albeit there are times I can only signpost or give general advice. The fact that your MHK doesn't make a song and dance about what they're doing doesn't mean they're not doing anything, and to my mind a good politician seeks to work collaboratively to effect change.

Edited May 11, 2023 by Stu Peters
Typos

[Stu Peters]

3 minutes ago, Stu Peters said:

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Stu Peters
Duplicate

[HiVibes]

6 minutes ago, Stu Peters said:

From the genuine idealism of being a candidate

Your one policy was to build a TT themed monorail? 

[Jarndyce]

4 hours ago, offshoremanxman said:

5 hours ago, La Colombe said:

Deafening silence. Is criticism of the Windsors on Manx Forums now verboten? 

I set it up and I deleted it because the constant echo chamber was boring me rigid.

 

4 hours ago, La Colombe said:

Ah ok, thanks

Wow!   No deep conspiracy whatsoever! 😉

[Thomas Dalby]

6 hours ago, thommo2010 said:

Does the fact nobody is coming to your surgeries not ring some alarm bells? 

Why would it? They are something of a 1960’s throwback. If you wanted to raise something with your MHK would you send an email or scour the public notice boards to find the date for the next surgery? 

[Shake me up Judy]

The allegation that the civil service decides policy is wrong.

No it isn't. You're taking a narrow view that ignores how decisions are formulated and the framing of agendas/options etc.

We put you in there as a 'man of the people' Stu. Not to support the status quo. 

[offshoremanxman]

26 minutes ago, Shake me up Judy said:

We put you in there as a 'man of the people' Stu. Not to support the status quo. 

I’d imagine Stu has always been a Status Quo supporter. He looks just the type to be a fan of double denim and white pumps. 

[jackwhite]

4 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

I’d imagine Stu has always been a Status Quo supporter. He looks just the type to be a fan of double denim and white pumps. 

Not the only double ds Stu has 😜

[HiVibes]

2 hours ago, Stu Peters said:

I'm not looking forward to a gold-plated IOMG pension.

[Non-Believer]

4 hours ago, Stu Peters said:

The allegation that the civil service decides policy is wrong. They certainly play a part in the process and their favoured options may best serve their own interests from time to time, but it's CoMin and Tynwald that decides.

If ever there was a statement containing conflicting lines, this is it, unfortunately, from two points. Entirely apart from the admission that self-interests are being served.

Firstly on CM Cannan himself's statement of only yesterday, declaring that individuals within the CS have too much power. That has patently and provenly led to the democratic process being bypassed.

Secondly, Comin and Tynwald may well "decide". But who furnishes them with the "Facts and Figures" to allow them (or encourage them 😉) to make the "right" decision? And "right" for the benefit of who? Rhetorical questions, naturally.

Given that our own said CM has also stated that CS "Can't be relied upon to...." etc etc then sorry Stu, your rose tinted glasses are obscuring your view of an entirely cynical (as in self-interested) section of Government with more than enough past evidence to prove, including the Ranson business that you have yet to comment on, unless we're conveniently extending sub-judice a little further and longer?

The governance of the Island is provenly and now very publicly sick and has been for some time. A strong remedy needs to be applied and a big tub and broad brush of customary Tynwald whitewash and silence has no business being part of it.

[Zarley]

16 hours ago, Stu Peters said:

From the genuine idealism of being a candidate, one soon comes to terms with some political home truths and has to modify personal expectations. 

Ok, fair enough for a first time, successful candidate such as yourself.  It's not quite the same for successful incumbent candidates who should have already been, by and large, stripped of their idealism. Some honesty regarding this wouldn't go amiss in their manifestos so the electorate could also modify "personal expectations", but that's not what we're ever presented with come election time. 

Will you, Stu, be explaining these political home truths to your constituents when you run again in the next election? Perhaps even encouraging your peers to do likewise? Doing so - being honest about what can and cannot be achieved and why - may go some way to restoring public confidence by providing a modicum of transparency. 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Zarley
Added two words.