It has become apparent to me over the years that the default position for our Government is to spend its way out of trouble...
Can you think of many major jobs done in the last decade or so that didn't cost MUCH more to deliver than budgeted for? Or take longer to complete? Every householder knows that budgets and deadlines are there for a purpose: It's about Common Sense & Accountability.
“ It's not really about expecting a Rolls-Royce for Ford Fiesta money. We're spending Rolls-Royce money on Ford Fiesta schemes”
The Promenade in Douglas. The new landing stage in Liverpool. Richmond Hill. The airport. Time and again our MHK's nod their assent to baling out runaway projects by throwing OUR cash at them. How long has the NSC pool been closed because they didn't specify the correct data for the slides (flumes). They tried to blame the supplier to cover up their mismanagement, but ended up having to spend at least as much AGAIN to get the job done. Who was held responsible for that?
It's not OUR fault!
It seems that government never admits its mistakes. Maybe it's part of the induction for new Tynwald members that 'The First Rule of Cock-ups Is That There Are NO Cock-ups'. And anyway, it's only taxpayers money and we have plenty of that. Not for essential services maybe, but certainly enough to cover our mistakes!
People appreciate honesty
I've made plenty of mistakes during a 50-year working life. I believe that we often learn more from our mistakes than from our successes. Manx politicians seem to have a different approach, in that they're never wrong about anything! I think people would respect them more if they held their hands up and admitted when they had got something wrong and explained why a decision they made turned out to be a bad one. Don't get me wrong - we can all be smart in hindsight - but instead they bluster and bull their way out of any criticism. "We thought the Steam Packet understood the Covid rules". "People will get used to the roundels". "We found German bombs at the new landing stage site". "The contractors can't get workers to finish the Promenade". "I'd offer an 11-point rebuttal but I've shredded my notes".
Spin cycle...
I don't know for sure but I suspect that there are now more journalists working for government than there are employed by the entire Manx media. Some are ex-colleagues and I don't blame them for taking a safe and well-paid establishment job.
But at what point does issuing a press release become an exercise in political spin and manipulation of the facts? Accentuate the positive (we know a song about that, don't we children?).
Consultants, committees and consultations
I have an uneasy feeling that public consultations are used mainly as an exercise in window-dressing official policy decisions. I worry that the establishment decides what it wants to do and frames consultations in such a way as to rubber stamp those choices, and to tell those who objected "well, we asked the public and they agreed". How many times has government spent tens of thousands on a consultant's report and then ignored or cherry-picked its recommendations? How many Select Committees have been tasked with investigating something of concern but given such narrow terms of reference that their findings are worthless? Let's not kid ourselves, the real power in the Isle of Man is wielded by the Chief Minister and his self-chosen Council of Ministers, and only fully independent back-benchers can properly challenge that in public.
Common Sense & Accountability
These two key things will be at the heart of my manifesto. Two things I believe have been missing from local politics for far too long. Expensive vanity projects, unnecessary consultations, poorly managed infrastructure projects – these have wasted tens of millions. We taxpayers deserve better. It is time for serious accountability.
There will be no empty promises from me, few people understand that an MHK is just one voice and needs to win support from others to influence anything. My promise will be that the elected voice of Middle will be heard – your views will be properly represented.
If you've read this far and feel like I have the same concerns and issues as you, please consider voting for me at the General Election. If you would like to discuss your issues for Middle, please get in touch with me - use the 'Contact' button on my website for details.
Together, we can take back Middle!