Winding back the Ministerial system of Government could return the Isle of Man to the ‘chaos’ of the old Board structure that was abandoned nearly 30 years ago, according to Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK.
Mr Bell was responding to recent criticism of the Ministerial system and of the principle of collective responsibility, the so-called ‘block vote’, that binds the Council of Ministers.
Said the Chief Minister:
‘There has been some comment lately about the Ministerial system being undemocratic, about getting rid of the block vote and returning power to Tynwald. In effect this would mean turning the clock back to the Board system that was abolished in the mid-1980s.
‘People are entitled to their opinions, of course, but a few of us remember what the Board system was like and why it was scrapped to make way for Ministerial Government.
‘The Board system was essentially an attempt to govern the Island through 27 disconnected parliamentary committees. It is was incoherent, indecisive and lacking in democratic accountability, as it was impossible for the public to distinguish between the parliament and the executive and to identify who was ultimately responsible for what was happening. It was a recipe for chaos and confusion.
‘As the central executive role of the Lieutenant Governor diminished in line with the Isle of Man’s constitutional evolution, the inadequacies of the Board system became more apparent. Its inability to provide integrated and decisive Government was further highlighted during the serious financial crisis that faced the Island in the early 1980s.
