A big Commonwealth conference attracted 50 parliamentarians to the Isle of Man.

The two-day 51st Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) British Islands and Mediterranean Region (BIMR) Conference was organised by the Clerk of Tynwald’s Office.

Its theme was impactful scrutiny.

Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, acting chair of the international CPA executive committee, said: ‘These conferences, where delegates are all friends together, provide valuable opportunities to network and learn from each other.

‘At 111 years old the CPA is one of the oldest established organisations in the Commonwealth and, in a difficult world of conflict and climate change, that strong sense of “family” for which the Commonwealth is well known has never been more important. And, as with all families, CPA members talk openly about the challenges they face.’

Mr Liddell-Grainger praised the ‘know-how’ of members and officers of Tynwald which contributed to CPA programmes aimed at benchmarking best practice and strengthening parliamentary democracy across more than 180 legislatures.

‘The electorate have come to expect more of their politicians, so I would hope that we will come away from this conference reflecting on what we’ve learned from one another, what we can do better and, crucially, what we can do next in response to these difficult times.’

The President of Tynwald, Laurence Skelly MLC, said he found it interesting to hear the conference described as ‘inspirational’ and that the CPA was an organisation exceptionally well resourced to benchmark best practice.

He continued: ‘Observing the conference proceedings was a real eye-opener. Over these past days I have witnessed how the CPA has the power to add very real value to strengthening parliamentary democracy. I also noted the many references to “family” in the context of talking openly and honestly to one another and I would echo the delegates’ observations that we are all facing the same challenges and grappling with so many competing priorities.’

He added: ‘Impactful scrutiny is not only central to good governance but also to earning and retaining the respect of the electorate.’

He went on to pay tribute to the many clerks and support teams who served the region’s legislatures, describing them as ‘the hidden asset’.

Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson said: ‘The CPA is all about learning, sharing best practice and understanding each other. With such a turnover of MHKs and MLCs, it has been a great opportunity to expose Manx politicians to other regional colleagues, and allow them to build friendships.

‘It’s important to know people who face the same challenges and know you can call them and exchange notes. You can’t replicate that on Zoom.’

The branches making up the CPA BIMR are Alderney, Cyprus, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, Northern Ireland, St Helena, Scotland, UK and Wales.

Conference delegates funded their own travel to and from the island. Accommodation and other costs were met by the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald and the CPA Headquarters Secretariat in London.