Move to remove bishop's vote paused for a month

The bill's progression has been adjourned until the next House of Keys sitting on 23 April

A private member's bill to remove the bishop's vote from Tynwald has been adjourned until late April.

The Constitution Bill 2023, put forward by Lawrie Hooper MHK, passed its second reading in December, but following a motion made by MHK Rob Callister it was adjourned for a public consultation to take place.

While Mr Callister called for a further adjournment to allow time for members to "review and debate" the findings of a public consultation, member backed an amendment by Clare Barber MHK to adjourn until the next sitting of House of Keys.

She said the move would allow members to "reflect" on the consultation's findings without further debating the matter.

Of those that responded, 51% favoured removing the vote.

'Clear debate'

Seconding the amendment, Alex Allinson MHK said that politicians should decide on the matter instead of "trying to kick this around as if it will go away".

Mr Callister had argued that "simply laying the report" was "not sufficient" and that members "need very clear debate" on the findings of the consultation.

But David Ashford MHK said that in the last 10 years government has consulted on some of the "biggest social things we will probably ever do", including abortion act and equality legislation, but it had "never led" MHKs to "pause the legislation" to debate a consultation.

Mr Hooper said he was "at a loss as to how anyone can argue that this house has not debated this issue to death".

The MHK will move the clauses of the bill 23 April.