Latest news with #KerrySharpe
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Seven years in Tynwald an 'eye opener' for former MLC
Serving on the Isle of Man's Legislative Council was an eye opening experience, a former member has said. Kerry Sharpe secured 12 votes in Tuesday's vote by MHKs, leaving her one shy of a majority and bringing to an end her seven-year political Clueit, Kirstie Morphet and Peter Reid became the newest faces on the Council, joining returning member Rob Mercer for a five-year back on her time on the Council, Ms Sharpe said: "I can say with my hand on my heart that I've done my best over the last seven years." A former TV journalist and producer, Sharpe was first elected the the Legislative Council in 2018, topping the poll when she next faced election in 2020. 'Heart and souls' Sharpe said, as an overall experience, she said it had been enlightening to discover "how hard members of Tynwald work"."Until you've actually been a member you don't realise how much work goes into it," she said."People really put their heart and souls into the role, it's been an eye opener for me."Ms Sharpe was appointed as the Isle of Man's Children Champion in 2022, which she said fed into research she was already conducting for a book about how the island has cared for its children over the past 150 years."Being children's champion I then bizarrely became part of the story that I am telling," she ahead, the former MLC said she was aiming to to finish the book by the end of the year, and while her time in politics had come to an end she would "still be fighting the good fight".It took members of House of Keys two rounds of voting to fill the four vacancies on the Council, and the successful candidates are set to to be sworn in at a ceremony next week. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
BBC News
21-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
'Official channel' for young carers' voices backed by Tynwald
Creating an "official channel" that the voices of young carers can to be heard through will continue to be explored after Tynwald members supported the commitment was made as politicians rejected or voted to change a range of recommendations outlined in the island's Children's Champion Kerry Sharpe's annual had called for improvements to accommodation for children in care, care leavers and vulnerable young people as well as an overall strategy for children with complex Chief Minister Alfred Cannan said while those suggestions were "well-intentioned", they were "not feasible or sustainable" and so could not be supported. During a debate on the document during February's Tynwald sitting, members backed three amendments made by the Council of Ministers, which included the "official channel" to hear young people's voices, and the introduction of an independent advocacy services from 1 April also agreed improvements to the island's assessment home should be made, rather than move it from its current location, which Sharpe described as "being on an industrial estate". The children's champion also argued the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) should inspect all accommodation for older children in care, in addition to residential homes and semi-independent members instead supported an amendment that would see the government working to identify how assurances that independent accommodation for older children in care was suitable, with Tynwald due to be updated by October. Solutions A call to create a working group including health representatives, local authorities and charities to explore some of the issues was also rejected, however members did agree to re-establish a recently dissolved corporate parenting group, which would also hear the voices of young people in recommendation that the Department of Education, Sport and Culture should continue to deliver the Childcare Strategy and explore approaches for supporting children with complex needs, including the consideration of a government-run complex needs nursery, was told the court ministers had rejected some of the original recommendations due to their "broader impact" and the "ever-increasing demand on public services" along with the responsibility to achieve long-term financial the government would continue to "work on solutions that address the core issues raised in the report", he added. Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
