Isle of Man and the economics of the “fifth column”

Politicians in the Isle of Man are not viewed in a good light. With a few notable exceptions, there is a lack of quality in the present Manx elected representatives. People do not have confidence in their ability to develop the Manx economy in a way that would benefit the community. In uncertain economic times there is a need for a government with a clear plan of action. However, there is a painful lack of direction coming from the Manx government. This results in them resorting to short term reactions to various economic issues as they arise. Worse than that, it leaves them susceptible to the influences of those who are no friends of the Manx people and nation.  Because they have no long term economic  strategy of their own, they have fallen for the dangerous political and economic views of those that put short term greed above all else. If this is damaging to the Manx people, then so be it. 

It could be said they are following the economics of the “fifth column”. A definition of the term fifth column can be any group of people who undermine a larger group from within, usually in favour of an enemy group or nation. There are many who can recognise this definition when looking at the current economic policies of the Isle of Man. Where it appears there is a drive to replace the Manx population by cheap labour from abroad. It doesn’t matter where this labour comes from, it could by Mumbai, Manchester or Manilla.  It is a policy that can be described in a number of ways; population exchange, maybe even ethnic cleansing, or as disguised by some in the Isle of Man government ‘relaxation of work permits’. However, make no mistake it all amounts to the same thing. 

Exponents of this policy include the Manx Chamber of Commerce and something called the Isle of Man business network. The position of the Chamber is not really a surprise, as they are a pressure group that are driven by the maximisation of profits above the needs of the Manx people. However, the problem is their undue influence on the present Manx administration. The target at  present is the relaxation of work permits. On this small Island, work permit control is just about the only way of controlling immigration and maintaining the wage levels of the Manx people. There we have the crux of it. The aim to relax work permits is to take the Isle of Man further along the road of a cheap labour economy. We can be sure this will suit the likes of the Manx Chamber of Commerce. However, they and their political followers try and hide this truth. They will come out with such nonsense as an ‘ageing population’ proving the need to remove work permits. The truth is that it is already possible, if a job cannot be undertaken by a Manx person, to employ someone from abroad. 

We need to dispel the myth of ageing population as an excuse for mass immigration. As pointed out by the organisation Population Matters, whose patrons include respected broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough:

“We cannot sustain endless growth on a planet of finite resources. We need to overcome the emphasis on short-term ‘economic gain’ rather than investment in activities with long-term benefit. What we need is not more people but a gradual transition to a steady state economy.

Such an economy can be innovative and has sustainable scale, fair wealth distribution and efficient resource allocation. It is broadly in balance, but its volume is not growing. If all that was required for prosperity was growing populations, the Philippines and many African countries would be rich, not poor.”

So the peddling of the idea that an “ageing population” has to mean relaxation of work permits in the Isle of Man is wrong. The view that to look after ever more old people we need ever more young people, who will grow old in turn and need yet more still to support them, is an ecologically unsustainable social pyramid scheme, benefiting the present generation at the expense of the next. If the Manx government took a longer term view of economic policy, and removed themselves from the short term, greed based influences of the Manx Chamber of Commerce, then they could achieve a successful and sustainable economy. Where young Manx people do not have to leave the Island if they don’t have to. Where longer, healthier lives is something that should be celebrated and not decried. With more flexible working arrangements, more jobs can be done by older workers, enabling them to top up their pensions by working as much or little as they choose. For instance, given training and support, the fit old can care for the infirm older.  At some point, longevity will cease to increase and birth rates will stabilise. The outcome will be a return to a more balanced age profile.