A study visit to Tynwald has served to identify ‘room for a good partnership’ the Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly Hon Tara Carter has said.

Hon Tara Carter Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly (right) with the Speaker of the House of Keys, Hon Juan Watterson SHK and Deputy Speaker of the House of Keys, Ann Corlett MHK

Speaker Carter, who was accompanied by Lenox Proctor, clerk to the Anguilla House of Assembly, was speaking at the conclusion of a two-day study visit, the programme for which was organised by the Office of the Clerk of Tynwald.

Appointed Speaker in March 2025, she said she was focusing on ‘the three Ds’ – debate, democracy and decorum. ‘This visit has, therefore, been exceptionally useful. Having had the opportunity to observe a sitting of Tynwald Court, I felt that the spirit in which questions were received was gracious, and that the conduct between Members was respectful yet firm and effective. This is something I will take back to Anguilla, because it is my ambition to apply my legal training to improving standards of debate and conduct in the Assembly. Our culture, though, is to be very effervescent and forthright, so we will have to look to temper that a little alongside developing our code of conduct.  As presiding officer, I want to engender practices of good conduct, behaviour and scrutiny, to foster camaraderie and respect on both sides and for the Assembly to earn the trust of the people. We’re a small society and the electorate want to see their representatives behaving at a high level in matters that affect them.’

She went on to comment on the comprehensive research services available to Members of Tynwald, and expressed an ambition for Members in Anguilla to have access to improved research resources to strengthen the quality of debate.

Speaker Carter said she had been pleased to ‘make the connection’ with Tynwald in March 2025, when she met Hon Tim Crookall MHK who was a member of a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association delegation delivering a post-election seminar to the Anguilla House of Assembly, following the election in the British Overseas Territory in February 2025. ‘The seminar was of great benefit to new Members,’ she said.

Concluding she said: ‘I was interested to learn about Tynwald’s Hansard operation and how proceedings are not video-streamed. In Anguilla, we don’t have Hansard, but our proceedings are streamed on YouTube.  After this visit I can see we might be able to share resources and perhaps collaborate on a joint IT transcription/streaming project applying AI technology, which might see us develop a “hybrid Hansard” for the Assembly. This visit has shown me that there is definitely room for a good partnership between Anguilla and the Isle of Man.’

For further information contact:

Joann Corkish
Deputy Clerk of Tynwald
Legislative Buildings
Douglas
IM1 3PW
Tel: 01624 685511
j.corkish@tynwald.org.im

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May 22, 2025