Backbench Rallies as Cannan Lashes Out

Chief Minister Alf Cannan has hit out at a backbencher for ‘moaning’ in what has been a feisty start to November’s Tynwald sitting.

Mr Cannan was answering a question from Tim Glover about the sacking of Rob Callister as DHSC minister when he fired back at the Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK.

After a lengthy speech in which Mr Cannan listed the achievements of his government, ranging from ‘the cheapest electricity prices in Europe’ to the island’s efforts in support Ukrainian refugees, Mr Glover referred to transparency and the changes within CoMin saying ‘there seems to have been more shuffles than Harlem at times’.

He said: ‘Members were all preaching transparency at the last election, so regarding the latest change at Health, what skill sets changed in 50 odd days from appointment to dismissal? What the circumstances were and does he think the original appointment was a misjudgement?’

What came from the Chief Minister seemed almost out of character as Mr Cannan said that while Mr Glover is ‘sitting moaning on the backbenches, we’re getting on delivering with the purposes of government, setting out to deliver on our commitments in the island plan and not only that, as I’ve just outlined, tackling some of the key and critical issues that this island is facing’.

He later referred to cracking eggs when making an omelette, saying it ‘will be the right omelette for this island’ and also pointed to the rushed return of the Economic Strategy to Tynwald, which will require backbench support to be taken later today.

Whatever his intention with that reply, the Chief did little to appease Mr Glover and his colleagues as Douglas North MHK John Wannenburgh said: ‘I am no spear carrier for this Chief Minister. I have been happy to support him when I think he has been right and when I think he is wrong, I will say so without fear or favour and I think he has been wrong recently.

‘Does the Chief Minister agree he is in a precarious and fragile position that points towards instability? Has his leadership been compromised by recent events?’

Unsurprisingly Mr Cannan didn’t agree before telling members ‘heavy is the head that wears the crown’. Fans of Shakespeare will know this is a reference to Henry IV. He of course spent a sizeable chunk of his reign fighting rebellions and challenges to his leadership.

Mr Cannan said ultimate he has the power to appoint and dismiss ministers and he felt a change needed to be made.

Next up was Mr Glover’s colleague Jason Moorhouse who was clearly far from happy with the way his backbench colleagues had been portrayed and spoken to by the Chief.

said: ‘Prior to this morning’s performance, my greatest concern had been in the way in that the Chief Minister had criticised the ability and skillset of a recently appointed minister. I would like him to reflect on this because at this moment I don’t think he has reflected on the personal hurt he has caused and the impact in the wider community on the way we’re acting as a grouping. With that in that mind, I would just like to respond in mind of kindness, thoughtfulness, how we’re seen as an island, how we’re seen as a government, how we’re seen as group of people.

‘Because I think it goes beyond the core deficiency that he has displayed this morning, it is about people and looking after people and coming together and I would really like the Chief Minister to comment on that. We know what has been achieved, but I want us all to feel the love for each other, the way in which we can all work together, what I have experienced in the last week has been quite repulsive.’

In response Mr Cannan challenged Mr Moorhouse to ‘justify that language, because he really does need to explain himself by what he means by that’. The Chief said the decisions he has taken a ‘difficult’ and ‘not always easy, not always pleasant’, but that ‘one does not always have the ability to make decisions in such a way in the public environment that can be managed without public debate or public comment’ before saying he had tried to handle the matter ‘sensitively’.

There was some support from the backbench from Douglas North MHK David Ashford who said members have to think outside of the Tynwald Bubble work together for the good of the island.

This was clearly popular with Chief who agreed and said he hoped to see Mr Ashford, who resigned after the publication of the Dr Ranson tribunal, back in the gov one day.

However, Douglas South MHK Claire Christian also criticised the Chief’s comments and asked if a full investigation into the sacking of Mr Callister had been carried out.

He said one wasn’t needed, but that if Tynwald wanted one, it has the power to make it so.