Around 120 people packed into All Saints’ Church Hall in Douglas last night (Wednesday) to hear by-election candidates say why they deserved to be given a vote.
The by-election in Douglas West will take place on May 23. It has been called after sitting MHK Geoff Corkish was elected to the Legislative Council.
The four candidates include two Douglas councillors, John Skinner and Chris Thomas, former Rushen MHK Quintin Gill, who was voted out of office in 2011, and Clive Dawson, once private secretary to the Lieutenant Governor.
They were held to account by the electorate at a requisition meeting chaired by former Onchan commissioner Keith Watterson.
They gave public statements about themselves and answered questions from the floor. Ten written questions were posed and then questions came from the audience directly.
Among the issues raised were the Landlords Bill, the MEA debt and gas and electricity bills, the bus dispute and rates.
Among the audience were former Douglas MHK Dominic Delaney, former MLC David Callister, Onchan MHK Zac Hall and Douglas West’s sitting MHK, John Shimmin.
By-election preview in Monday’s Examiner.