THERE will be a straight vote in Tynwald next week between two candidates for the vacant seat on the Legislative Council, created by the election of Clare Christian as President of Tynwald.
Banking manager Tony Wild and retired meteorologist Brian Rae will contest the election on Monday, December 12th at a special sitting of Tynwald, with the winner holding the seat for just over a year until the end of February 2013.
Mr Wild, 53, is best known as the former Island Director of Lloyds TSB Offshore, having worked within the LTSB group since 1991. He is currently leader of the priority services banking team at Standard Bank Isle of Man.
Manx-born Brian Rae has more than 40 years’ experience of working within the Civil Service and 25 years as a member of Arbory Commissioners.
John Houghton, MHK for North Douglas,, who formally nominated Mr Wild, described him as “ a safe pair of hands” with an impressive lifetime’s experience of dealing with professionals at the most senior level.
“I have every confidence in Mr Wild’s proven abilities and, if elected, he will attribute his skills and experience for the benefit of the Island going forward.”
Mr Rae was nominated by Phil Gawne, MHK for Rushen, who described him as “a man who has substantial experience of how government works.”
Mr Rae also received an MBE in 2007 for “services to meteorology and to the community of the Isle of Man.”
He said, “I’m not in the first flush of youth but definitely still young enough and sufficiently intelligent, capable, keen, interested and experienced enough to serve our Island community and an MLC.”
The election will take place at a special sitting of Tynwald at 10am on December 12th and the new MLC is then eligible to attend his first sitting of Tynwald itself the following day.
Whoever wins the seat will serve as MLC until the end of February 2013 when four positions on the Council of eight members reach the end of their terms of office. The other three MLCs, if they choose to stand again, are David Callister, Eddie Lowey and Juan Turner.
The other group of four MLCs coming to the end of their term of office at the end of February 2015 are Phil Braidwood, Dudley Butt, Alan Crowe and Alex Downie.
