Former Patrick commissioner Richard Jones would like to make a political comeback.

He says he wants to give residents in the rural area a voice, in the upcoming by-election.

He claims the lack of focus from MHKs means the ‘only voice’ residents have is through the commissioners.

A by-election for a new commissioner in Patrick is being held on Thursday, June 15.

The only other candidate is Kevin Oliphant-Smith who has contested elections in Douglas in the past.

Mr Jones, who also runs the Knockaloe Visitor Centre, says local ‘needs’ should be voiced.

He was a commissioner in the parish, which encompasses Foxdale, Dalby, Glen Maye and Patrick village, for about 10 years.

He told local democracy reporter Emma Draper: ‘I didn’t seek re-election last time because myself and my wife were very much engrossed in the setting up of Knockaloe Visitor Centre, which is in Patrick, and I didn’t have the available time to spend on really being reelected as a commissioner.

‘Saying that, we’ve now got to the business centre up and running, so I’ve got time now again.

‘Why am I standing? It’s because I strongly believe that people in the smaller countryside communities need a voice.

‘MHKs are allocated now through Glenfaba and Peel, which means the MHKs in our area focus on people where most of the votes are, which is Peel, which is totally understandable.

‘But it means that the only voice that the outlying parishes have, you know, would be through their commissioners.’

He added that he was concerned about the lack of businesses in the parish and mentioned the former Waterfall pub in Glen Maye..

‘When I was commissioner, we were very strongly of a view that should remain a pub and not be a development site and it’s still dragging on. So those sort of local needs need to be voiced.’

He added: ‘You can be a voice, a method of people getting a message, even if it’s a request for help. They know someone that they can just pick up the phone to or send an e-mail and be approachable.’