Ringy Rose Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 (edited) 4 hours ago, Two-lane said: Allinson's reply seems a bit snotty. He doesn't seem to think I need to know anything. Doesn't he realise that he works for me? I thought it was reasonable enough when he’d done it correctly for 19/24 cases and one of the ones he didn’t do it for was a role he held as Minister. I can’t help but notice everyone’s favourite Chief Minister is absent from the article. I wonder why that might be. And isn’t it lovely to see Michael Josem back? I love to hear his thoughts on secrecy given the Manx Tax Payers Alliance’s famous transparency about its funding. Edited August 21 by Ringy Rose 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Two-lane Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 32 minutes ago, Ringy Rose said: I thought it was reasonable enough when he’d done it correctly for 19/24 cases and one of the ones he didn’t do it for was a role he held as Minister. 2 hours ago, Roger Mexico said: It comes across a bit that way, until you look at his declaration of interests and realise that he's the guy who actually does declare everything. I was referring to his style of communication. Much has been made recently about how MHKs and Civil Servants do not communicate adequately. I would give Allinson 0 out of 10 for sensitivity with that quote - this is my translation - "Bugger off. I'm an important Minister, and I'm not wasting my time giving you an interview." Maybe he was too busy trying to arrange for MHKs to pay for car parking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mexico Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 52 minutes ago, Manx Bean said: So do you have unequivocal evidence to substantiate your claim? Just curious and not trolling! Oh the whole thing is well-known and Faragher's statement in reply is actually in the Manx Radio piece: Declaration of the donation and MLP affiliation during the campaign was properly disclosed to the Returning Officer and the Central Registry. However, it wasn't automatically carried over to the Tynwald Register, which I was unaware of. Declaration of the donation is probably unnecessary, as it happened during the campaign & was properly disclosed as part of that process - I don’t know if any MHK has declared campaign donations on the register. However, it was declared as a ‘belts and braces’ action once I realised that declarations to the Central Registry weren’t carried over. This has been explained a number of times and Josem continuing to go on about it has a hint of the idea that if you continue to repeat the same misleading bit of information over and over again, people will come to believe it. As in most places candidates and/or their agents have to make formal returns on how much they spent getting elected (in the Isle of Man this is all relevant spending in the 12 months before) and what donations they have received to help pay for it. But, unlike in the UK say, there doesn't seem to be anywhere where these expense are published. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banker Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 (edited) To be fair most of the interests seem to be fairly small eg trustees of charities etc,member of Labour Party hardly directorships of say IOM energy , Crogga Gas or IOM Breweries etc Edited August 21 by Banker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Buggane Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 From little discrepancies grow big financial shenanigans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred the shred Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 Moorehouse was on MR at lunchtime explaining the process I am no wiser he is obviously having elocution and projection lessons from Chris Thomas in the skill of mumbling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manx Bean Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 5 hours ago, Roger Mexico said: Oh the whole thing is well-known and Faragher's statement in reply is actually in the Manx Radio piece: Declaration of the donation and MLP affiliation during the campaign was properly disclosed to the Returning Officer and the Central Registry. However, it wasn't automatically carried over to the Tynwald Register, which I was unaware of. Declaration of the donation is probably unnecessary, as it happened during the campaign & was properly disclosed as part of that process - I don’t know if any MHK has declared campaign donations on the register. However, it was declared as a ‘belts and braces’ action once I realised that declarations to the Central Registry weren’t carried over. This has been explained a number of times and Josem continuing to go on about it has a hint of the idea that if you continue to repeat the same misleading bit of information over and over again, people will come to believe it. As in most places candidates and/or their agents have to make formal returns on how much they spent getting elected (in the Isle of Man this is all relevant spending in the 12 months before) and what donations they have received to help pay for it. But, unlike in the UK say, there doesn't seem to be anywhere where these expense are published. And I assume that you can’t enter such a donation into the Register before being elected because at that moment you aren’t..erm, elected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gladys Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 36 minutes ago, Manx Bean said: And I assume that you can’t enter such a donation into the Register before being elected because at that moment you aren’t..erm, elected. Perhaps candidates must declare their funding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopek Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 Yes they do but the incumbents don't have to declare their earnings they are still paid while they 'campaign'!!! I think an employee would have to declare that they are still being paid while campaigning? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Mexico Posted August 21 Share Posted August 21 4 hours ago, Manx Bean said: And I assume that you can’t enter such a donation into the Register before being elected because at that moment you aren’t..erm, elected. It's actually even odder than that. Before the 2021 election, it was decided that there would be a "Declaration of Relevant Interests submitted by candidates as part of the nomination process". However: The Declaration of Relevant Interests submitted by candidates as part of the nomination process for the 2021 House of Keys General Election will not be published online as proposed. The intention had been to post the completed forms on the Cabinet Office website in order to provide a level of transparency for each candidate and to assist voters in casting their ballots. The legislation to introduce this new provision was subject to extensive consultation and scrutiny. However, the Cabinet Office has been informed that sharing the information on the Declaration of Relevant Interests forms would be in breach of data protection legislation. The Cabinet Office is continuing to work with the Information Commissioner and the Attorney General’s Chambers to ensure the necessary legal framework is put in place to enable the sharing of this information for future elections. It should also be noted that successful election candidates are required to declare relevant interests, which are then published on the Tynwald website. So between them the AG's Office and the Cabinet Office made a complete cock-up and forgot to allow for a GDPR exemption (assuming it's really needed and not just the complete inability of different parts of government to agree). Clearly Faragher made this declaration (including the donation) and assumed it would be copied over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Phantom Posted August 22 Share Posted August 22 (edited) On 8/21/2024 at 7:17 AM, 2112 said: Our ‘Nations Station’ and the IOMG mouthpiece has once in a long time has actually done some ‘investigative journalism’, which will ‘hopefully’ embarrass our collective idiots, and also embolden the voters to voice their displeasure. From their investigation it was found that many of our politicos don’t like to follow the rules or seem to think it doesn’t apply to them. From the NPM - A Manx Radio investigation has found MHKs, and MLCs are not adhering to the protocol which require them to register personal interests within a specified timeframe Seventy percent of political members are in breach of Tynwald regulations on registering personal interests, with some failing to register an interest for years after its inception. However, 15 percent of Tynwald members have registered all their interests on time, and eight members notified the Isle of Man’s parliament in advance of an interest officially arising. Since the recording of both the date a personal interest arose and the date it was registered began to be collected, 85 entries passed Tynwald requirements of registering within a one month period. The number of entries which failed to comply is 96. Furthermore, 188 entries do not declare the date the interest arose and instead only the date Tynwald was notified, making it impossible to know if the rules were adhered to. An interest is defined as a personal reason for undertaking an official role or having a stake within a business, society, or other organisation, which could impact the way in which they carry out their duties. Gifts and donations also create an interest, although the benefitting party may not have an ongoing role or financial stake. According to Tynwald Standing Order Annex 7, members must register an interest “within one month” of the date it becomes active. Members of the House of Keys and Legislative Council are also expected to register any new interest in advance of any debate in Tynwald Court. What does it all mean and why does it matter? Personal interests of politicians are of public interest because they could change the way they carry out their duties or the way they vote in a political capacity. MHKs are elected representatives of one of 12 constituencies which make up the entirety of the Isle of Man’s population, and their main purpose is to serve their constituents. Hypothetically, if an elected person chose to act or vote in a way which satisfies their own personal stake in a business, society, or organisation, and not be in the best interests of their constituency, this would create a ‘conflict of interest’. Politicians are expected to publicly announce their personal interests as part of efforts to be accountable and transparent to both the public and their political colleagues. They do this by way of informing the Tynwald Registrar who adds it to a “members’ interests” list, which is available online. In sittings of the House of Keys or Tynwald, on occasion, members will declare an interest in front of their peers before asking a question or making a statement. However, this does not replace the requirement for declaring the interest with the Clerk of Tynwald – who is the registrar. Which politicians are not declaring interests on time? It is important to note that there is no evidence to suggest any member is intentionally flouting the rules. Manx Radio attempted to find out if there are any accusations or active investigations of wrongdoing in relation to a conflict of interest, but was told the Tynwald Standards and Members' Interests Committee is not obligated to report if they are carrying out any investigation. However, the Clerk of Tynwald's office has confirmed that since the register was set up in 2003, there have been no sanctions issued to members over a failure to declare an interest. House of Keys Ramsey MHK and Treasury Minister Alex Allinson 19 personal interests registered on time 3 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Douglas East MHK and Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Clare Barber 6 personal interests registered on time 11 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Garff MHK and Education, Sport and Culture Minister Daphne Caine 10 personal interests registered on time 4 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Douglas South MHK Claire Christian 5 personal interests registered on time 6 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Douglas Central MHK Ann Corlett 0 personal interests registered on time 2 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Onchan MHK Julie Edge 0 personal interests registered on time 5 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher 0 personal interests registered on time 3 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood 9 personal interests registered on time 4 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Glenfaba and Peel MHK and Cabinet Office Minister Kate Lord-Brennan 0 personal interests registered on time 1 personal interest registered outside of the specified timeframe Douglas South MHK Sarah Maltby 8 personal interests registered on time 3 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse 0 personal interests registered on time 3 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas 1 personal interest registered on time 12 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Douglas North MHK John Wannenburgh 14 personal interests registered on time 1 personal interest registered outside of the specified timeframe Rushen MHK and Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson 3 personal interests registered on time 2 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Middle MHK Stu Peters 1 personal interest registered on time 1 personal interest registered outside of the specified timeframe Glenfaba and Peel MHK and Infrastructure Minister Tim Crookall 0 personal interests registered on time 6 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Legislative Council Tanya August-Hanson MLC 2 personal interest registered on time 4 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Peter Greenhill MLC 0 personal interests registered on time 7 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Robert William (Bill) Henderson MLC 0 personal interests registered on time 1 personal interest registered outside of the specified timeframe Dawn Kinnish MLC 1 personal interests registered on time 9 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Robert Mercer MLC 3 personal interests registered on time 2 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Kerry Sharpe MLC 2 personal interest registered on time 4 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe President of Tynwald Laurence Skelly MLC 1 personal interest registered on time 2 personal interests registered outside of the specified timeframe Manx Radio has approached all Tynwald members who are not named in this list to ask if their members’ interest’s entries are up to date. MHKs and MLCs who do not appear on this list, appear to be in compliance with the rules. However, some have not registered an interest in years – some approaching a decade since their last entry. Right of reply All Tynwald members named in this list have been approached for interview. Some have declined, others wrote a statement, and the remainder did not respond. Alex Allinson declined to comment or be interviewed: “I do not think it is necessary for me to make a comment on this issue or take part in an interview.” Sarah Maltby provided Manx Radio with the following statement: “In my attempt to be fully transparent I have inadvertently triggered a discrepancy with the Tynwald Standing Order Annex 7. “I regret the one occasion I have not been timely in my responsibility to update the register. It is very important that a register of members interests is publicly available.” Rob Mercer did not provide a statement directly to Manx Radio and posted on social media: “I can see that in 2021 I was late registering a number of my interests. My subsequent interests have been declared on time. Timely declaration of members interests is important. It's one of the crucial steps to maintain transparency and integrity in any organisation.” Daphne Caine provided the following statement: “I am confident none has been a conflict in any of my parliamentary or department duties, and in any event, any interest would have received appropriate acknowledgement at the time.” Claire Christian provided the following statement: “I did not register ‘Trustee: Ellan Vannin’s Victim’s Service (112 days)’ within the required 1 month time frame. I apologise for that and would be happy to apologise in parliament if I was required to do so.” Claire Barber conducted an interview: Jason Moorhouse conducted an interview: Juan Watterson conducted an interview: Michelle Haywood provided a statement: “I am aware that some of my entries were made after the one-month time frame, which was an oversight on my part. With regards to the tickets for the Awards for Excellence, these tickets are offered to all Tynwald members and therefore do not need to be declared as they are not specific to me, and therefore not solely my interest. So even though the declarations were made late, I could legitimately have not declared them at all. I am very careful with all my parliamentary and government roles to make clear when any possible conflict of interests is relevant to any discussion or debate.” Joney Faragher provided a statement: “Declaration of the donation and MLP affiliation during the campaign was properly disclosed to the Returning Officer and the Central Registry. However, it wasn't automatically carried over to the Tynwald Register, which I was unaware of. Declaration of the donation is probably unnecessary, as it happened during the campaign & was properly disclosed as part of that process - I don’t know if any MHK has declared campaign donations on the register. However, it was declared as a ‘belts and braces’ action once I realised that declarations to the Central Registry weren’t carried over. With regard to being appointed Director of Cruse Bereavement Support, declaring outside of the expected timeframe was an oversight on my part. However, this was publicly disclosed by myself and Cruse at the time of appointment.” Stu Peters provided a statement: "I have had few things arise that needed to be listed, but if they did I advised the Clerk of Tynwald’s office as appropriate and (I think) in a timely manner." Analysis Manx Radio’s Christian Jones sat down with political correspondent Phil Gawne to discuss the findings: What next? Tynwald instructed the Standards and Members’ Interests Committee to review its procedures and submit a report to the court by the last day of January 2024. Publication was delayed by several months and was released in April 2024. In the committee’s annual report, it says “the Clerk of Tynwald shall be responsible to the committee for maintaining the register [of members’ interests] and for giving effect to the rules”. Manx Radio approached the Clerk of Tynwald for comment. We have not yet received a response. It’s really ironic that our elected idiots, love registers which they expect the public to adhere to. They fine taxpayers, if they fail to pay their taxes, fail to submit their income tax forms in early October on time. Companies are fined for failing to submit their tax and NI both in time and if not paid then legal action is taken, which in the past would have resulted in harsher action - like the involvement of the coroner. It will be interesting what punishment or sanctions for late adherence to the rules are applied? No surprises in which MHKs have no interests (in the timeframe) whatsoever! Edited August 22 by The Phantom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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