Civil War: Cannan VS Hooper

In a Manx political showdown, tensions have boiled over as the now former Health Minister Lawrie Hooper and Chief Minister Alfred Cannan publicly clash over the future of the island’s health service.

Mr Hooper’s dramatic resignation has triggered a war of words, with each accusing the other of undermining the public’s trust in Manx Care.

Mr Hooper, in a personal statement to Tynwald on Tuesday, said he could no longer support a government agenda he believes is leaning toward privatisation.

‘I’m convinced the Chief Minister’s ultimate aim is to try to privatise our health service’, Mr Hooper claimed.

He described his resignation as his ‘only card left to play’ after CoMin failed to confirm their commitment to a free-at-the-point-of-use NHS.

But Mr Cannan didn’t hold back in his response, slamming Hooper’s remarks as ‘a fabrication’ and accusing him of deflecting from the real issue – Manx Care’s financial mismanagement.

‘It is a falsehood and a slur on the Council of Ministers’, Mr Cannan shot back.

‘The only person who has mentioned privatisation is the former minister. It’s his dead cat strategy, and it’s failed.’

For those that don’t know, a dead cat strategy is where a politician makes a shocking announcement to divert attention from problems or failures in other areas.

At the heart of the dispute is a damning audit report, which Cannan revealed had been known to Hooper since April.

The report highlights a lack of financial controls within Manx Care, with Mr Cannan accusing Mr Hooper of hiding the facts and blaming underfunding instead.

‘He knew in black and white that financial oversight and planning was woefully lacking’, Mr Cannan said.

‘If we had known, it would be a different story.’

Mr Hooper, however, insists the real danger lies in the government’s insistence on further cuts to meet Manx Care’s budget, which he says will put lives at risk.

‘To meet those savings means closing wards is on the list’, Mr Hooper warned.

‘For me, if it is a choice between spending more or harming patients, I would spend the money every time.’

With Mr Cannan now temporarily in charge of the Department of Health and Social Care, both sides appear firmly entrenched in their positions, leaving the public to wonder what’s next for the island’s healthcare system.

As Mr Hooper put it, ‘I cannot in good conscience continue to serve under a Chief Minister who refuses to accept responsibility for the consequences of these decisions’.

It begs the question, who’s next in line to take on the role of Health and Social Care Minister?