John Shimmin has been appointed a member of the Department of Economic Development, just months after he resigned as its minister.
The Douglas West MHK has not had a government job since he quit the Council of Ministers in June.
This morning his replacement as minister at the DED, Laurence Skelly MHK, said: ‘I am pleased to confirm that John Shimmin MHK has been appointed as a member of the department.
‘He will not have a specific delegation but rather will use his substantial experience to provide support across the department in realising our ambitious plans to grow the island’s economy in 2015 and beyond, notably with the new cross-government development team.’
In the summer, Mr Shimmin left the job, conceding his position was no longer tenable in the aftermath of revelations that two loans awarded to the Sefton Group were unlawful.
Eleven months earlier, he had offered to fall on his sword if it was discovered that giving loans to the Sefton Group had been inappropriate.
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/shimmin-falls-on-his-sword-after-all-1-6684450|Click here to read our story on the day that his resignation was accepted.}
Members of departments {http://www.tynwald.org.im/memoff/remall/Pages/default.aspx|get 30 per cent more than MHKs who don’t have a government job}, so Mr Shimmin will be personally better off, although he will not be earning as much as he did when he was a minister.
Related story:
{http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/govt-bail-out-struggling-sefton-group-1-5597293|The government bails out the Sefton Group.}