It looks like a grudge match has now started in Glenfaba and Peel with the announcement that serial Freedom of Information Act request submitter, and regular multiple Tynwald Petitioner, Trevor Cowin has announced his candidacy. And if there's anyone who can carry off a grudge spectacularly well its gruff former civil servant Mr Cowin who currently holds the IOM record for the most number of FOI requests submitted to IOM Government and the most number of Petitions for Redress submitted to Tynwald.
Announcement on Manx Radio:
Government pensioner Mr Cowin submitted thirteen separate petitions at yesterdays Tynwald Ceremony [that's up from the eight he submitted in 2020 - many of which were refused but two of which were retrospectively held to be valid following an investigation by the Tynwald Standing Orders Committee] and so as a former civil servant it looks like if elected he probably intends to keep himself busy in true Kafkaesque fashion by answering his own multiple FOI requests in some sort of vast circular paper shuffle.
In Peel circles Mr Cowin is regarded as a sort of loose folk hero for his ability to be a very thorough and effective pain in the ass for any government department that he has a random axe to grind with. As such we would suggest that this is positioning yet another vote in the category of anyone but Ray Harmer as many of Mr Cowin's numerous FOI requests relate to issues concerning the Peel Sewage Works and the toxic silt in Peel Harbour - decisions which Osama Bin Harmer was responsible for at the time as Minister in charge of the Department of Infrastructure.
There really does seem to be a strong anyone but Ray Harmer vibe going on in Peel now between Mr Cowin and Ms Kate Lord Brennan both of whom are very credible candidates who are going up against a vulnerable electoral punchbag who is weighed down by so much baggage from his DOI days that he's almost standing in Peel Harbour wearing concrete shoes waiting for the toxic tide to wash in.
As with all candidates we wish Mr Cowin well and we look forward to seeing his manifesto in due course. We would guess that in true Rob Callister homage fashion his manifesto will likely be a weighty tome which could well be confused with a phone book arriving on your doormat such is his ability to generate voluminous paper trails about almost anything.
Pictured: Trevor Cowin candidate for Glenfaba and Peel
