Barrantee
Phurt Le Moirrey

Public Declaration – Election Candidate Laurence Vaughan Williams

Port St Mary Commissioners advise that Laurence Arthur Vaughan-Williams has publicly advised that he will be standing in the forthcoming Local Election on 22nd July 2021. A copy of his Public Declaration is detailed below:-
I Laurence Vaughan-Williams (known as Laurence Vaughan-Williams) do hereby declare my intention to stand as a candidate for the forthcoming local election for Port St Mary Commissioners due to be held on Thursday 22nd July 2021.
Some of you know me as an Advocate defending in Court. Others may have seen me in the pantomimes put on at the Town Hall by the Port St Mary Concert/Cabaret Party… and most of you will have seen me walking my basset hound ‘Winston’.
I was first elected in 2017 at what were to become troubled times for the Board and served for a short period of time as Chairman of the Commissioners. My successor as Chairman described me as “a man out of step with the Board”. This was correct then. The then Board was pursuing policies which I had to oppose. Once those policies were no longer being pursued, the Board functioned better and during the last twelve months, the Board has functioned well, and without friction.
I will continue to stand up for what I consider to be the right policies for the village, and its residents. I believe that the job of the Board is to concentrate on Port St Mary and not to jump on every passing bandwagon incurring legal expenses and charges to be paid by the ratepayers, many of whom are elderly. Thousands of pounds have been wasted in legal costs upon matters which were doomed to failure. If the proponents have been spending their own money they would not have put their hands in their pockets. And no more “Manxonia House” fiascos, although I am pleased that under its new owners it will be an asset to the village.
Therefore:-
1. I believe that we should aim to be the lowest rated local authority and that the Board’s concentration should be on Port St Mary and its parks, gardens, footpaths and play areas and that redundant assets should be disposed of and the proceeds of those assets only expended to ensure that the facilities offered by Port St Mary to residents and visitors is of the highest quality.
2. I support the renovation of “Happy Valley”.
3. I deplore the state of the highways and I am in favour of lower speed limits in the Village and the renewal of street lights.
4. I am not in favour of any amalgamation with Port Erin. I believe in the independence and integrity of Port St Mary.
5. I no am longer in favour of developing a skate park in Port St Mary at its proposed site. When plans were exhibited in the Town Hall, I was deeply impressed by the concerns of the residents and there are skate parks being constructed within reasonable distance which would answer the needs of the community until an alternative site can be found. I am in favour of ensuring that the play areas are safe and well equipped for the 21st century.
6. I resisted attempts to reduce the number of Commissioners to 5. Why? .. because that would have meant that 3 Commissioners could determine the policies of the Board. The resulting decision to reduce the number to 7 ensures that no one group would be able to influence and dictate policy to the expense of the others.
7. I am in favour of re-establishment of an Events Committee run by local people for the benefit of the community. The Events Committee was abolished by the Board and is sorely missed.
8. I believe that charges for persons using the Town Hall for events which will raise money for charity should be abolished.
I invite the support of the electorate.