Politics
Bishop Consultation Launches
The consultation will run until February 29.
The much awaited public consultation on whether or not to remove a vote in Tynwald from future bishops has opened.
Lawrie Hooper’s Private Members Bill to remove the remove the vote has passed three readings in the Keys, but was kicked out for public consultation by members.
Mr Hooper has now opened that consultation, which will run until February 29.
He said: ‘Members of the House of Keys (MHKs) are elected for five year terms and hold a popular mandate to exercise power on behalf of their electorate. Every five years the voters of the island have the opportunity to re-elect or replace their MHK’s.
‘Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) are also elected for five year terms, by the Members of the House of Keys. In this MLCs are indirectly accountable to the Manx public, as MHK’s are ultimately answerable to their voters for all their decisions, including who they vote to place on the Legislative Council.
‘However there are two Members of Legislative Council who are not accountable to the Manx Public either directly or indirectly, the Attorney General and the Bishop of Sodor and Man. Both have the right to speak and contribute to debate – but the Attorney General cannot vote.
‘The Bishop however, can vote in Tynwald and the Legislative Council. They can directly affect policy and law that affects every single person on the island – and yet they are not accountable to the Manx publicwhom they have this power over. The Bishop of Sodor and Man is appointed by the King, on the advice of the UK Prime Minister. Bizarrely this means the people of the UK (or more specifically the membership of whichever Party is in Number 10 at the time) get more of a say over who is appointed to this post in Tynwald than the people of the island!’
While his Bill only deals with the issue of the vote, Mr Hooper is also offering islanders a chance to offer their views on whether the Bishop should retain his membership of Tynwald at all and whether prayers should continue to be read at the start of sittings of Tynwald and the branches.
