Attending the 73^rd Westminster Seminar on Effective Parliaments ‘provided a unique opportunity to examine and reflect on parliamentary processes and procedures’, Dawn Kinnish MLC has said.

Mrs Kinnish (pictured) was speaking after returning from the five-day Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA UK) event that opened on March 10, Commonwealth Day, with a Service of Celebration in Westminster Abbey.

‘It was an honour to witness the celebration of Commonwealth tradition and culture in Westminster Abbey and for Members of the Commonwealth “family” to be united in celebration, in the presence not only of The King and Queen but also the future King and Queen – the Prince and Princess of Wales - and the Princess Royal.’

CPA UK chief executive Sarah Dickson OBE said in her welcome message that the focus of the Westminster seminars had always remained the same: ‘the coming together of parliamentarians to exchange expertise and ideas [with] the emphasis on peer-to-peer learning.’ Her message prompted Mrs Kinnish to comment: ‘Engaging with parliamentarians from around the Commonwealth, I was proud to be an unofficial “ambassador” for the Isle of Man and to reinforce the message that Tynwald is the oldest continuous parliament in the world. It was also quite revealing how few of the delegates were aware of our tricameral system.

‘The seminar served as a useful forum in which to meet with many other Commonwealth parliamentarians, especially those from African nations, and to hear about their work on social issues. I also found what the female politician from Kenya had to say about the ongoing challenges for women in politics and her campaign to end female genital mutilation compelling.  I also shared with delegates how Tynwald’s strong female representation had happened organically, without the need for quotas, a development that many delegates found particularly interesting. My conversations with delegates from Africa, Australia, Canada, Gibraltar, Jamaica, BVI, Cyprus and Malta highlighted how, although we may be different in many ways, fundamentally we have many common challenges.’

Mrs Kinnish praised the Westminster educational outreach team for their work in engaging young people in parliamentary democracy. She also valued the panel discussion with Layla Moran MP about her committee work on the Health and Social Care committee which she chairs, which now adopted a proactive, rather than reactive approach, identifying potential issues and topics which may arise. ‘I also heard how recommendations were “set in stone” with no opportunity for amendment, which prompted me to reflect on our own processes.

‘I was also interested to hear how Westminster is looking at House of Lords reform again, which may consider whether Members should be publicly rather than directly elected and measures to reduce the number of Lords, which is currently in excess of 800. What I took away from the seminar is that clearly there’s no such thing as a perfect parliamentary system and that there is unity amongst Commonwealth countries. It was evident that parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth value the support the CPA provides, and that CPA members recognise and respect how Tynwald has stood the test of time.’

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For further information contact:

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