NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE
Part of today’s ‘news garbage’ from Manx Radio concerned the ruminations of Howard Quayle MHK on the merits or otherwise of party politics.
Given the Party system has never really gained much traction in the Isle of Man why ‘eminent’ Ministers of the calibre of Quayle and less eminent ‘has been’ Ministers in the form of Chris Robertshaw are so anxious to negate party politics is unclear.
However it is clear that government in general have a concern over the issue, why else would they have devoted precious legislative time to fettering the comparatively mild party political structures that do exist in the recent representation of the people legislative review?
Quayle advanced that:
‘We have elected politicians and their sole aim is to do what is right for the people of the Isle of Man’
Well hardly their sole aim! Some of Quayle’s colleagues, fearful of the electorate come next Septembers General Election, recently jumped ship into the unelected Legislative Council. They were plainly doing what was ‘right’ for them not their constituents who were plunged into elections with just 10/11 months to go before a general election.
Additionally, when Quayle, who only days earlier had been wittering on about the cost of cancer treatments, voted for the £50 million Economic Development Fund was his ‘sole aim’ to do what was right for the people or the business community?
What is right for the people in a time of great austerity probably also should include a review of generous farming subsidies. However I doubt Quayle, himself a farmer with outstretched hand, will be ‘pushing the boat out’ to debate that anytime soon!
There would also he averred ‘be sniping’ if we had party politics – this from a government where only a few months ago one of the senior Ministers was scuttling around like some modern day Cassius trying to line up enough support to stab the Chief Minister between the shoulder blades.
Anyway Quayle is probably right the Island does not want Party politics it should stick with individuals who raison d’être is self-interest and hypocrisy!
BERNARD MOFFATT
Issued by: The Celtic News
02/11/15
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