A plan to allow a simple majority of MHKs to remove a sitting Chief Minister moved a step closer this week as most MHKs gave their backing.

Daphne Caine’s Council of Ministers (Amendment) Bill 2020 cleared its second reading in the Keys, with only four members voting against.

The Garff MHK said the amendment Bill is ’very simple’ and would ’address what I feel is a regrettable anomaly in our legislation for removing an administration that does not have the majority support amongst the House of Keys’.

Mrs Caine added: ’Over the past 30 years, there has not been a single occasion where a vote of no confidence has been tabled against the Council of Ministers.

’Given that record I feel that we could be optimistic that a vote of no confidence would not be brought frivolously or in response to an unpopular policy which was a fear expressed when the numbers required were debated by the previous house.’

If Mrs Caine’s Bill does find its way onto the statute books, it will mean future chief ministers will require 13 votes to be appointed, but equally require 13 votes to be dismissed by the Keys.

She added: ’I strongly believe that a government that has lost the support of the majority of members has lost its credibility and authority. It would be untenable for a leader of such a government to stay in office.

no confidence

’The current requirement of 16 votes would mean a minister would have to break ranks and support a vote of no confidence in the government, effectively a vote of no confidence in him or herself.’

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan said the island was not an anomaly, saying there are many places in the world where a two-thirds majority is required to remove a political leader.

The Ayre and Michael MHK said: ’I’ve had my run-ins with at least one previous chief minister and of course I work very closely with this chief minister, but one recognises that a chief minister also has a very difficult job to do and it isn’t a popularity contest and a chief minister won’t always be popular.

’All I would ask is for a little bit of consideration from the house as to putting their mark against what appears to be a very easy and reasonable suggestion but also one needs to consider the question of democratic stability. A two thirds majority is not uncommon.’

Lawrie Hooper (Liberal Vannin, Ramsey) said that with a small legislature like the Keys, it would be possible for a government to block any attempt for a vote of no confidence if it required 16 votes to remove it.

Mr Hooper said to him requiring a straight majority to appoint and remove a chief minister seemed ’balance and fair’.

The four who voted against were Mr Cannan, Geoffrey Boot (Glenfaba and Peel), Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) and Ralph Peake (Douglas North).