Press Release
11 May 2014
Shutting the Stable Door after the Horse has Bolted There has been much heated debate about the financial assistance totalling £4.5 million given to the Sefton Group. Included in this assistance was the purchase of the Middlemarch site for £3.2 million together with the leaseback arrangement and option to repurchase given to the Sefton Group. For whatever reason, Government would not allow Tynwald members sight of the legal advice they had obtained after the event and LibVan has consistently challenged the legality of this assistance. In the April sitting of Tynwald LibVan Leader, Kate Beecroft, received unanimous support for an independent legal opinion on whether or not Government had the legal powers to bail out the Sefton Group as they did, without Tynwald approval. That legal advice has not yet been produced but in the May sitting, Tynwald members are being asked to approve the purchase of the Middlemarch site and the purchase of Finch Hill House totalling £9,850,000.
The Committee that sat to investigate the decision by the Council of Ministers to give assistance to the Sefton Group without reference to Tynwald, found that Government had gone beyond the use of the fund when it purchased the Middlemarch site.
If Tynwald approves the purchase in the May sitting, does it let Government off the hook if the awaited independent legal opinion is that Government did not have the legal power for this purchase without Tynwald approval?
Are they attempting to legitimise an illegal act? Are they trying to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted?
“ENDS” Kate Beecroft MHK for Douglas South Leader Liberal Vannin Party
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