Bernard Moffatt's blog

Pity the denizens of the news and news magazine section of Manx Radio. To ensure that programmes have a broad reach - in terms of subject content - they have to have every ‘Tim’, Dick or Harry pontificating on the airwaves.

Of course such a strategy must lead to moments when the interviewer wants to bash his head on the newsroom console or yearn for a days leave.

The visit by the current two political bete-noires of the Isle of Man Margaret Hodge and Andrew Mitchell MPs is reported widely.

MTTV have an interview interspersed with comment describing the pair as ‘two very important people’, Christ I thought it was me who should get out more - obviously it’s Moulton!

There has been a large demonstration in Bayonne in the northern Basque Country calling for the release of several Basque prisoners in French jails.

A strident campaign has been ongoing for some months calling for the release given the changed circumstances in the southern Basque Country and the ETA ceasefire.

Those imprisoned have served long jail terms in one case 28 years. Politicians have joined the protests.

This report from 7seizh:

A Basque pressure group is claiming that ‘social pressure’ has stopped shipments of arms through the Port of Bilbao to Saudi Arabia,

They say the Port had been a major conduit for war materials which are used in their murderous war against the people of Yemen.

Hundreds of containers had been shipped in the past but the group say that for three months no materials have been channeled through the Port (link):

The attempt by Spain to charge a number of Basque youths with terrorist related charges following a brawl with the Civil Guard has been dropped and changed to one of ‘damage and public order’.

However any thoughts that this might diffuse the public anger over the Altsasu defendants has been dashed as the court has handed down sentences totally 79 years to the eight Basque youths involved. The longest sentence for one young person is 13 years.

This is absolutely outrageous given that in the so called ‘disorder’ one Civil Guard suffered just a minor ankle injury.

The Isle of Man ‘through the looking glass’! It's a strange barely comprehensible twilight world which for the most part is inhabited by politicians and statisticians.

Less people came for the TT (in terms of bikes) and yet it was the best ever - let's forget a death or two or the odd maiming.

While the Isle of Man wrestles to avoid polluting the Irish Sea some of our neighbours it seems couldn't care less - read on:

The Isle of Man government and specifically its DOI have got themselves in something of a pickle over how/where to dispose of a few thousand tonnes of toxic waste that accumulates in Peel Marina.

We already have a dump full of this silt at Poortown (near Peel) and there were promises not least to the local authorities that this would be removed in five years - the clock is ticking.

I have received a response to a query I forwarded to DEFA (MInister Mr G Boot MHK) last month concerning the element of engagement his Department has had with the United Kingdom over the new build nuclear power station at Moorside adjacent to the Sellafield site. I forwarded a similar query to the Irish government at the same time (link):

https://www.facebook.com/crowndependencypoliticalnews/posts/186025292399...

Alf Cannan MHK the current Manx Treasury Minister and COMIN - the Isle of Man's resident political Dad's Army - are set to go head to head with the Law Society.

As part of Alfs SAVE initiative he is rolling out a Public Defender System (PBS) which would effectively replace the provision of Legal Aid in criminal cases:

https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/law-society-doubts-legal...

SAD FOOTNOTES FROM HISTORY - WHO CARES?

Kate Beecroft MHK is rediscovering the past! She is effectively becoming the ‘Mary Beard’ of recent Manx political history.

She is garnering her knowledge from a blog which outlines the goings on surrounding Mount Murray development two decades ago and has moved on to the Sefton and Ferguson Lacey et al.

But what is the point? It’s hardly ‘The Nazis a Lesson From History’! Picking over the bones of this ‘past’ will hardly make a good stew let alone land anyone at the International Criminal Court!