This week we got to see the House of Keys in full combat for the first time since the election.
Yes, they’ve elected a Speaker. They’ve even elected a Chief Minister.
But the sitting yesterday (November 3) was the first time we saw the opportunity for MHKs to get at each other.
It threw a few things up, including a possible bromance. More of that later.
The sport of questions
A former chief minister has told me frequently that House of Keys Question Time is a gift for ministers. As long as they realise it.
It’s a chance to turn the narrative to your view while the questioner sits and hopes you slip up.
Easier said than done, particularly if you’re new to the job. And quite a few of them are. Some are still new to being an MHK.
Enterprise Minister Robert Cowell, for instance, had a pretty tough task for his first attempt at portraying a calm authority.
He was expected to explain a recent trip to a Liverpool awards ceremony/business shindig, organised by one of his department’s agencies, that some would see as a jolly.
With the questions likely to stack up it was time to see whether this Cowell had the X Factor.
Or the Expo Factor.
Avoiding the temptation to hitch up his waistband to his armpits, like his music mogul namesake, Cowell stood to defend the trip, making sure not to show too much enthusiasm. Even a new minister would know that wouldn’t go down well.
How did he do?
It took him a while to realise he needed to get in a few more hints that the trip had been set up before his watch.
He didn’t do a bad job.
Louis Walsh would have bickered with him, while Sharon Osbourne may have been reaching for her handbag at times.
But, for a first attempt, dealing with a no-win subject, there wasn’t much else he could have done.
He even promised to demand a thorough review of all such trips, in response to a supplementary question that may have – or may not have – been stage managed.
Speaking of which, in what may have been slightly unnecessary interventions to help the new minister, Chris Thomas and Rob Callister – the Ant and Dec of Comin – each sprang up with seemingly supportive questions to ensure the person under scrutiny wasn’t given too hard a time.
Or was it just to ensure he didn’t go off script?
Would Robert have made it through to the judges’ houses based on this week?
Not sure.
But he made it through to the next round. Ultimately, of course, the final verdict comes in a public vote.
Tynwald Lookalikes Lovealikes
Now, bear with me on this.
I may have launched a series identifying lookalikes among the Tynwald members, but I didn’t make clear this includes spiritual lookalikes, rather than anything so base as physical appearance.
On Tuesday, in the House of Keys, there was a spark in the air.
I cannot have been the only one to notice it.
The frisson between Alfred Cannan and Jason Moorhouse was electric.
Really, we can date this back to the old days, when Alf was Chief Minister and Jason was a backbencher.
But now, with Jason the minister and Alf the backbencher, it has really come to life.
Jason is merrily skittish as he sits next to Alf, bouncing like Tigger as he answers questions from his former boss.
Alf sits there, arms folded and eyes rolling, in an attempt to show disdain. But every now and again, his frown recedes and the lips curl up to the faintest hint of the smile.
It’s like the early days of Neighbours’ Scott and Charlene (you know, Jason and Kylie).
Before full blown soap opera love bloomed, one was desperate to impress the other, and one feigned indifference.
There’s only one way this is going for Jason and Alfie – and I’m all for it. They have already arranged a date in Kirk Michael.
We must hope for a Christmas release of Especially for You to come from J-Dog and the Alfman.
We should be so lucky …
