In yesterday’s (Thursday 24^th April) local authority election the five members of the current Board of Braddan Parish Commissioners comprehensively saw off the challenge of sacked former clerk Charles Lewin.

Mr Lewin who had predicted, to one of the other candidates, that he would capture the third highest vote, ended up bottom of the poll, nearly 200 votes behind the fifth placed, and successful candidate, Mrs Hodge.

Perhaps predictably, Mr Lewin was ungracious in defeat and, before slinking away at the end of night, reverted to type by hurling insults at another successful candidate, Andrew Jessopp; who Mr Lewin had frequently clashed with prior to his dismissal for serious misconduct.

Mr Lewin also continued, when interviewed by Manx Radio’s Dan Davies, post defeat, to try to convince (himself no doubt) that sound financial control, of the authority, had evaporated with his dismissal. Unfortunately, for Mr Lewin, the voters have obviously formed the opposite conclusion; and have chosen to believe the Commissioners.

A delighted Commissioners’ Chairman, Mrs Hodge, speaking to Manx Radio after the results were announced, said that she hoped the Authority could now move forward in a more positive direction; and, as she believed that she had a good team to work with, this was entirely possible.