• October 16, 2015

NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

MANN: SPEAKER’S INANE RAMBLINGS TO ‘CPA HOLIDAY CLUB’!

The Speaker of the House of Keys, Steve Rodan , has been waxing lyrical in the latest edition of The Parliamentarian a publication of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)

The CPA says on its web pages that it:

“Connects, develops promotes and supports Parliamentarians and their staff to indentify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the enduring values of the Commonwealth.”

This is double-speak for ‘arranges free lunches and exotic holidays at taxpayer’s expense for those in the club’.

Anyway back to Rodan’s musings. In his article the Speaker points to what he describes as; ‘two significant milestones’ in the history of Tynwald: the Revestment Act of 1765 which he describes as ‘a low point in the story of the Isle of Man’s development as an autonomous nation’ and the House of Keys Election Act of 1866 which according to Rodan was ‘the moment where the Island took its first steps towards being a truly representative parliamentary democracy’.

Well without wishing to ‘rain on Speaker Rodan’s literary parade’ many people would describe the fact that since fiscal powers were granted to the Manx government in the late 1960s the failure to advance the Isle of Man to independence is to the true low point. Indeed most of the people Rodan and the other MHKs who go on ‘Club CPA’ hols mix with politicians who have had the guts to seize their independence.

The blather about 1866 is all fine and dandy as well but full universal suffrage did not come until over fifty years later as he well knows.

Steve Rodan referred to reverently as Mr Speaker in the House of Keys arcane procedures close his introspections by observing that ‘the House of Keys can look forward with confidence to the next 150 years.’ He chooses to ignore the fact that this House of Keys is probably the most unpopular in living memory with the Manx public.

Anyway if in 150 years time the Isle of Man is still ‘tied to the apron strings’ of the UK then that will truly be a ‘low point’ hardly alleviated for the populace by the knowledge that innumerable CPA ‘jollies’ have also ensued for Rodan and his ilk!

BERNARD MOFFATT

Issued by: The Celtic News

15/10/15

THE CELTIC LEAGUE INFORMATION SERVICE

The Celtic League established in 1961 has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It promotes cooperation between the countries and campaigns on a range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights human rights abuse, military activity and socio-economic issues

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