Tynwald’s debate on whether Peel and Glenfaba MHK Kate Lord‑Brennan should be censured for breaching the Members’ Code of Conduct has continued late into Thursday evening, with members divided over both the complaint and the process used to handle it.
The court is considering the Standards Committee report recommending censure for comments Lord‑Brennan made on Facebook about a planning matter involving Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper.
The discussion has broadened into questions of conduct, free expression, and how members police each other.
Overwhelming Sadness
Legislative Council member Paul Craine said his “overwhelming emotion is sadness”, noting how easily offence can be taken in political exchanges and questioning whether the dispute centred on the words used or the wider circumstances around the planning decision.
Dr Michelle Haywood said complaints must be made within a reasonable timeframe and warned against “exaggerating it into something it’s not”.
She said members must understand and apply their own rules more clearly: “Of course members have freedom of expression, but it’s not what we say, it’s how we say it.”
Clare Barber defended the planning process, saying decisions had been taken “to the letter of the law”, and warned that undermining confidential draft reports would be “a dangerous day indeed”. She called for an independent standards process and adherence to the Nolan principles.
Deeply Uncomfortable
John Wannenburgh said he was “deeply uncomfortable” about supporting a censure, describing the situation as “dreadful” and saying he was “almost ashamed to be here”.
Jane Poole‑Wilson said she was “saddened by the language” and stressed the difficult position the committee had been placed in.
Joney Faragher argued that if the court was not prepared to censure a breach, “what’s the point of having a code at all?”, saying members must respect the framework even where they disagree with findings.
Tim Crookall said it was “a sad way to finish off this administration”, urging members to “learn from this” and warning that censure “will always be remembered”.
He said members should be “big enough to take a few words”, adding: “We are all grown ups.”
Legislative Council member Tanya August‑Phillips said the process had been “not good”, adding she felt “forced to vote with this code” and that the system required a thorough review.
