Sinister Meddling and Mendacity Raises Its Ugly Head In The Manx General Election Campaign

The General Election on the Isle of Man (Manx: Mannin) will be held on September 22nd 2016. The election is for the The House of Keys (Manx: Y Chiare as Feed), which is the Lower Branch of the Isle of Man parliament, Tynwald (Manx: Tinvaal). The Keys is made up of 24 members who represent 12 constituencies. The members of the House of Keys (MHK’s) are directly elected by the people of the Isle of Man once every five years. All 24 seats will be up for election. 

A feeling of disconnect, similar to the divide felt by many people around the world, between the people and the political establishment also exists on the Isle of Man at this time. The previous government has been one of the most unpopular for many years. With the influence of greed based business interests, no matter how damaging to the Island, its environment, culture and the Manx people, seeming to take precedence over everything else. Current Manx Chief Minister, Allan Bell, is not seeking re-election. This will not be seen by many as a sad loss with a general view of ‘Good Riddance’ being expressed at his departure. Allan Bell has proven to be a great disappointment and few can point to any legacy of achievement over his time in office, but plenty of negatives. 

The election has thrown up an interesting array of candidates from the good, bad, ugly and in some cases the downright scary. A good view of the issues arising in the campaign can be obtained from the Mannin Branch of the Celtic League facebook site. They have also been to the fore in highlighting the worrying intervention of the ‘Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce’, known by many locally as the ‘Isle of Man Chamber of Conmen’. The Chamber of Commerce have been busy suggesting to people what kind of questions they should ask of the candidates. However, it would be unwise to think that this group has the wellbeing of the Island or the majority of the Manx people in mind. There agenda is self motivated and it is one that many see as being driven by greed.

It is the over influence of this unelected group on the current administration that has been ringing alarm bells on the Island. Policies advocated by the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce would only result in the further weakening of ordinary Manx people’s working conditions. They will present few training opportunities for young people, but seek instead to fill the island with cheap labour and weaken the already inadequate ‘Work Permit’ system.  Manx people deserve elected representatives that stand up against those driven by greed and self interest. They want people who will fight for their rights and protect the culture and environment of our ancient and precious Island. The last thing they need is an administration in the pocket of the Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce.