As part of our work around internal constitutional reform and following the introduction of a Bill by Lawrie Hooper MHK which seeks to remove the voting rights of the Lord Bishop from Legislative Council and Tynwald, we are conducting a survey to gauge public interest, understanding and support for / against the proposals.
You can complete the survey by clicking the button below.
Our aim is that the results of this survey will help inform lawmakers as the Bill progresses through Tynwald.
This is an anonymous survey, which we are conducting through Google Forms. This survey will remain open until 11 December 2023 and we will report on the results of the survey.
You can find out more information about our position on the role of the Lord Bishop in Tynwald by reading our briefing here or read our press release below:
Reayrtys Launches Survey on Role of Bishop in Tynwald
Following the vote this week (Tuesday 7th November) in support of a Private Member’s Bill from Lawrie Hooper MHK, which seeks to remove the voting rights of the Lord Bishop from Legislative Council and Tynwald, Reayrtys have launched a public survey to understand attitudes towards the role of the Lord Bishop in Tynwald and gauge support for the Bill’s proposals.
Image Credit: Manx National Heritage (iMuseum archive)
The survey, which will close on 11th December, aims to provide lawmakers with a snapshot of public attitudes towards the Bishop’s position.
The Lord Bishop is the highest representative of the Church of England in the Isle of Man and a full voting member of the Legislative Council and Court of Tynwald.
However, the Bishop’s role in the Manx legislature, which can be traced back to the 17th Century, has become increasingly contentious in recent years and has been the source of repeated attempts at reform.
The latest proposals from Mr Hooper, would see the Bishop retain their seat in parliament but lose their right to vote.
Nick Hawkes, Co-founder of Reayrtys said, “Whilst we’re eager to see a more comprehensive reform of our democratic structures, the role of the Bishop in Tynwald is an important and emotive issue for many and the vote this week showed a clear appetite for reform. Despite accusations of ‘naval gazing’, we believe that improving our democratic institutions and taking a fresh look at our internal and external constitution is essential in delivering better policy for the Isle of Man - and the future of the Bishop’s place in Tynwald is an important part of that.”
“Our aim with this survey is to cut through the comments on social media to provide decision-makers with a snapshot of the public perception on the issue to help inform their position as Mr Hooper’s Bill progresses through Tynwald.”
“It’s not often the Manx public gets asked their opinion about the membership of our parliament and we urge everyone, even if you have no interest in politics, to take five minutes to fill it out.”
You can complete Reayrtys’s survey into the role of the Bishop in Tynwald at this link.
You can find out more about Reayrtys at www.reayrtys.com.
ENDS
Lovely sentiment. http://bit.ly/47Gu2il