Bernard Moffatt's blog

The latest raft of surreal statistics arrive from the Manx government and induce the same sense of despair that this regime has lost all touch with reality.

I’m looking at the TV broadcast licence which is due for renewal at the end of next month and thinkings this can't go on!

At the moment we pay the UK licence tax (that's what it is) and also pay about a million a year to Manx Radio. The Station meanwhile makes no secret of the fact it wants ‘a shed load of money’ to have another revamp!

I’m all in favour of having a MANX public service broadcaster and if the money was coming IN FULL from a returned percentage of the broadcast licence I would say ‘carry on’.

A ‘SAVING’ OR A ‘SLIGHT OF HAND’?

The Manx Independent has the two story about the Hospital Consultants and the closure of the Private Patient Unit online (see links) below:

Much is being made of the so called ‘saving’ to be made almost a quarter of a million pounds so has the unit been subsidised, Apparently not the saving is actually as I understand it a slight of hand.

Staff utilised on the PPU will be transferred as it closes to other duty this will cut down on the need to engage temporary locum or bank staff in the General Hospital.

“The argument should be conducted in the DHSC boardroom at Markwell House or the floors of Nobles. Instead we have ‘Mr Speaker’ asking questions in Tynwald about Consultants pay. Pretty rich from a man who didn’t even pay for his own paracetamol on that Falklands jolly!”

Ironically next week when Howard Quayle MHK, Manx Chief Minister, gets to his feet and delivers a ‘State of the Nation’ in Tynwald address will coincide with the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (Oct 17th).

It's debatable if any new initiatives to tackle poverty in the Isle of Man will be announced we will probably have to wait for Treasury Minister Alf Cannan MHK to conclude his great budget ‘talkathon’ with the masses and even then I wouldn’t hold your breath.

I got this email yesterday ‘Dear Bernard, As an’ - Hang on lets just park that for a moment as MTTV have a ‘MHK Year 2’ interview and its the big one Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK.

Paul Moulton is with ‘the great man’ in the COMIN room with Howard sitting in ‘the big chair’. Paul presumably has the one Treasury Minister Alf Cannan sits in at Council meetings whilst eyeing Howard’s ‘big one’ enviously.

The Health Services needs stability and that is something it patently does not seem to have at present.

Staff should be able to carry out their duties which help avert life threatening or life changing situations in an atmosphere of industrial relations stability. A key factor in workplace stability is good two way communications and yet the resignation letter from a Consultant in the Manx Independent points to the complete opposite of this.

Despite what some in the Keys may think I don’t hang on their every word so it was only today that someone told me that Chris Thomas MHK had added some cryptic mutterings on his MHK Facebook page about me on International Day of Older Persons. Apparently Chris has two Facebook pages I hadn’t worked that out either - its awful when you are old and slow!

Chris is always giving me advice and he joins a growing band of ‘Bernie obsessionals’ such as Treasury Minister Alf Cannan MHK who mentioned me in his budget speech and that lawyer chappie who...well wasn’t very pleasant.

MTTVs ‘MHK Year two’ are heavy going I’ve missed most although I did savour the ‘Thought and Teachings of Chairman Robertshaw’ MHK. I also watched part of the Clare Bettison MHK rendition before killing it. However I watch the Daphne Caine MHK one all the way through.

The big plump juicy story of the day is a bit like its persona. Its Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK and the Tynwald Order Paper. To get to it I have to ferret about on mainstream and social media which is a cacophony of dross

Manx news is all over the show. IOM Today have caught up on the Manx Radio loss item and although they focus mainly on the facts they make sure they also home in on some of the juicy salaries for senior staff up there. They also chuck in the assertion that Manx Radio are doing ‘knockdown’ rates for advertising which of course the station of course deny.