An anonymous writer says why they have been deterred from standing for public office.

I’ve lived in the Isle of Man for more than three decades, having moved over when I secured a dream job here and decided I wanted to make it home for the rest of my life.

I have experience in the public and private sectors and volunteer in the third sector. I love almost everything about the island and am passionate about its success.

I am at a stage in life where, gaining the 360-degree knowledge of the island, and the challenges it faces, I have the desire to ’put something back’ into its wellbeing.

I am of good character and have energy, humility and, hopefully accrued along the way, some small amount of wisdom, too.

And I have no particular drum to bang, no motivation in life beyond wishing well for the island, it people, its economy, its environment, its culture and its uniqueness: that thing you cannot touch but can sense with every sinew about our island.

You might think, then, that I am the sort of person who might be a valid candidate for the House of Keys when the island goes to the polls this September.

Sadly, I won’t put my name forward because of the hatred and vitriol that our decision-makers and their loved ones are subjected to online.

Parliaments and governments must be scrutinised, and that must be on the terms of those they serve, not their own. One or two of our Tynwald Members would do well to remember that.

Free speech is vital to any democracy and intelligent discourse around the issues of the day is healthy, whether over the garden fence, in the town square, through newspapers’ letters pages and radio phone-ins or online.

But, sadly, scrutiny of the policy so often now descends into abuse of the person.

There are a good number of people in the Isle of Man who spend all day, every day, yelling into their keyboards.

Some hide behind pseudonyms, others are more brazen about their postulating, presumably because they gain some grotesque celebrity status as a result of it.

Many resort to hyperbole, a number to hysteria and a smaller number, still, to downright abuse that could be construed as dangerous.

Let’s not forget that in recent times, hatred has led to the murder in broad daylight of a UK MP going about her work in her constituency and, even in the Isle of Man, a person being convicted of making repeated threats to a politician and his family.

Online this week, alone, I have seen Ministers described as murderers because of Covid decisions, an MHK’s appearance the subject of an unedifying thread and another accused of taking brown envelopes.

Other people then like, share, and add to this abuse, often from no knowledge base.

A subject is doomed to failure if he/she responds.

Those posting continue to twist and turn ’their truth’ and have no desire to listen to another viewpoint.

Despite surviving many slings and arrows of life, why would I or anyone else wish to subject ourselves and our families to that as a later in life, altruistic, career choice?

I don’t blame social media. Like the motor vehicle, or the phone, it is employed to positive effect for the most part, but, in the wrong hands, can wreak damage and destruction.

I blame the users and their complete lack of self-control.

In the Manx Independent of April 8 you highlighted on your front page the scourge of online bullying, one of your own reporters bravely writing about the effect trolling had on her.

I take issue with your Opinion column in that edition, in which you said politicians should be ’big and ugly enough’ to take online criticism.

That may be popular currency - ’you put yourselves up there’ etc - but we are a civilised and caring society and we should set the bar far higher than that.

In recent years, we have modernised our thinking to make unacceptable and even unlawful bullying and threats in the classroom, in the workplace and in the street - and directing such bullying to politicians through online platforms should be no exception to that.

At least not if we want more people from all walks of life to put their names forward for public office to represent us.

And without people doing that, and if we have only a masochistic ’survival of those who can withstand it’ culture, and candidacy, we will limit public choice and representation in a way that damages our progress as a nation.