Claim OwnershipAgenda - Manx Radio
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Phil Gawne offers a weekly insight into Manx politics, interviewing current and former politicians about issues in Tynwald and the House of Keys, while exploring the broader world of politics and government operations.
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The Extradition Bill 2025 is making its way through the legislative process and for all but a handful of people its impact on our lives will be minimal. So why do we need this legislation? Well, according to the notes on the Bill, no one should be able to escape justice simply by crossing a border, and our current extradition law relies on a largely repealed piece of dated UK legislation. In other news the electricity inter-connector is 25 years old and during its life 25 billion units of electricity have been exported to the UK providing the MUA with an £80 million profit. Exporting electricity and criminals - some good news at last.
There are two new Bills progressing through the House of Keys at the moment and on Agenda we find out what the motivation is for bringing them forward and what their impact will be on our lives. The Education Bill is a mere shadow of the Bill which had previously been brought forward by the education department but it will have a significant impact on home schooling and children with additional educational needs. And do we really need a law to give women access to free period products? The Education Minister has taken her department back to school to produce the slimmer Bill but will the Keys give it ten out of ten or a “see me after the lesson?”
The Area Plan for the North and West would have completed the planning picture for the Island but it was defeated in and extraordinary vote in Tynwald with both Keys and LegCo tied - 12 - 12 and 4 - 4 which meant the President of Tynwald had to use his casting vote which by convention means voting against change? So what happened in Tynwald and why did Tynwald vote to defeat this plan which was the result of around five years hard work by officers. On Agenda we hear some of the highlights of this unprecedented debate. Was there some filibustering going on? Was government complacent? Were the Tynwald members who voted against right to demand facts and detail to back up the shaky housing figures?
The Bishop’s vote moved a step closer to extinction last Tuesday when the Bill which seeks to abolish it finished its passage through the Legislative Council. The Bill had been paused for some time while a LegCo committee considered the impact of this measure but despite setting out clearly that the loss of the Bishop’s vote would most likely result in the loss of a Bishop of Sodor and Mann LegCo supported Key’s resolve to remove what many see as an undemocratic vote. Two of the more prominent speakers in the debate Gary Clueit and Paul Craine explain the process and the two sides of the debate on Agenda. With the Bishop’s vote all but gone will Keys shift their attention to the undemocratic Legislative Council next?
Agenda 10.11.25Is government’s whistle blowing policy fit for purpose? Well a new Tynwald Committee has been set up to answer that very question? Should concerned government employees be able to take their concerns directly to an MHK or is this best left to HR experts to handle? Also, there were several questions raised in October Tynwald about young people not in work or education, is government flip flopping on apprenticeship support, are reservoir repairs over the top and concerns in the south over changes in the rating system. Agenda blowing the whistle on the big political stories of the day ........ or was that just the kettle boiling?
The Government’s Transport Strategy was considered by Tynwald last month and while there was no request for it to be supported it was merely noted by our politicians. Where does leave the strategy if it’s not supported by Tynwald? Also why did Tynwald pick one of the highest year’s for green house gas emissions as the base line on which future emissions reductions are referenced? Has Tynwald done a disservice to itself in not acknowledging significant impacts of previous political actions to reduce climate harming emissions? Is our transport strategy on a road to nowhere and should emissions reduction targets be allowed to go up in smoke?
The Area Plan for the North and West was defeated by three votes in last week’s Tynwald sitting and while it remains possible that it could scrape through in the November sitting it will require all of Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford’s political guile to make that happen. So why has it failed? On Agenda this week Chris Thomas and Paul Craine explain what their concerns are and even the Treasury Minister acknowledges weaknesses in the process. With no plan B, defeat of the plan means the north and west are relying on plans now several decades old. Is Tynwald playing high stakes poker with our planning system?
Would party politics work in the Isle of Man? Lord Finkelstein thinks that on the one hand it might and yet on the other hand it might be no better than what we’ve got! Mitch Sorbie on the other hand seems keen to establish his new party Isle of Man First which, at first glance would substantially reduce government income while being rather vague on how expenditure reduction would be delivered. Mr Sorbie suggests “where there’s a will there’s a way” while Lord Finkelstein notes the only thing the public hates more than a politician is a politician who’s rubbish at politics.
Has the all encompassing enthusiasm and bold ambition of the early years of Alf Cannan’s administration finally been smothered by the inhospitable atmosphere of consensus politics? Is our current system capable of delivering a bold and ambitious vision for the Island? And how do we assess our MHKs’ ability when manifestos appear light on policy commitments? Agenda’s back after its six week summer recess and Alistair Ramsay helps us answer these questions. Yes the political season reopens soon so expect the next 12 months to be a rocky ride!
Junior Tynwald included some searching questions about 20mph zones, health spending and government spending on water and electricity infrastructure. On Agenda we’ll hear these questions and those we’ve not yet squeezed in to previous programs. We also hear from Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson - a former Junior Tynwald member on the importance of this annual sitting and what Tynwald members get up to when sittings stop for the summer recess. Keys members do like to be beside the seaside but they’ve got plenty of hefty committee reports as their holiday reading.
Junior Tynwald sat last month and as we heard on last week’s Agenda it was a very thoughtful and well considered sitting. On Agenda this week we hear the debate on a motion which considered what can be done to counter the dangers of social media. We also hear from some of students who took part and one of their teachers. It’s been a real privilege to cover Junior Tynwald and good to know that I’ve got competition with Olivia and Ellie from QE2 keen to take on my job covering senior Tynwald.
Junior Tynwald sat last month and a very interesting, thoughtful and at times provocative sitting it was too. A motion which considered whether wind turbines should form an essential part of the Island’s future energy supply was amended by students who expressed concern that the potential damage to biodiversity and habits should be considered alongside any benefits of using this renewable energy source. Good to know that a new generation of potential politicians clearly have a passion for Manx politics.
Still catching up on July Tynwald highlights we’ve got questions from Jason Moorhouse, an answer from John Wannenburgh on the delays in getting a planning application submitted for the Earystane windfarm. Also Rob Callister and Michelle Haywood consider how Tynwald members should pay for their parking, agreeing that they should but disagreeing on how the recent request for payment missed out senior civil servants. A parking storm in a teacup and a windfarm answer that appears to be blowin’ in the wind.
A near eight year campaign by a mum whose son tragically lost his life concluded in last week’s Tynwald when a law that makes it easier for people to donate their organs was brought into force. Campaigner Diane Taylor and former MHK Martyn Perkins tell of their pride in finally seeing this through. We also hear Speaker of the House of Keys Juan Watterson’s view on the Health overspend and minimum wage and Health Minister Claire Christian explains what her department and Manx Care are doing to turn around the Island’s health finances
There’s a saying that if you want a job doing ask a busy man. Well, David Ashford seems to be the man to ask as he’s taking the Safeguarding (Amendment) Bill 2025 through Keys, is taking four pieces of legislation through Tynwald relating to the Human Tissue and Organ Donation Act 2021, he’s got the Cabinet Office Department Plan to move as well as the Council of Ministers Update Report on Inward Migration. So what does all that mean in relation to our lives. Is government so busy being busy that it hasn’t got time to get anything done?
Chris Thomas has been a regular thorn in government’s side since the Chief Minister asked him to vacate his office. In recent months he’s been championing the cause of local government and he has an interesting take on the current leadership in the Isle of Man Government. Expect an interesting , wide ranging discussion and if you listen very carefully you might just spot the bombshells.
On last week’s Agenda Lawrie Hooper called out government for requiring higher pay for migrant workers than Manx workers but was he right? The Treasury Minister doesn’t think so and he puts his case to Agenda. Mr Hooper also suggested he would pull his Tynwald motion on releasing more detail about school assessments if the Education Minister conceded an improved position. The motion wasn’t moved so Agenda asks the Minister what did she do to pacify Mr Hooper. Is a war of words developing in Ramsey between the town’s MHKs?
In last week’s sitting of the House of Keys Lawrie Hooper asked the Enterprise Minister Tim Johnston “Whether the Minimum Wage will be increased to £13.05 by 1st October 2025 to reach equivalence with the minimum salary threshold for Worker Migrant visas at that date? In an interesting exchange it emerged that government’s position appears to be that it didn’t want migrant workers to undercut Manx workers in the job’s market. Of course that then means that the minimum wage for immigrant workers is higher than that for Manx workers. We’ll also hear from Dawn Kinnish MLC who’s taking her first Bill through LegCo which has just the faintest hint of poacher turned game keeper.
It's the first time in 100 years that a sitting president came over to the Island to meet with volunteers. Rotary provides service and goodwill to create lasting change with three branches locally of Douglas, Onchan and Rushen & Western Mann.President Stephanie Urchick has described this visit as 'a special one'
Dr Edward Fitzgerald is the Health Equity and Access Co-Lead at KPMG International and Head of Healthcare & Life Sciences at KPMG Islands Group. He talks to Agenda about health care policy and the policy differences of delivering health services in Island situations. With spiralling health costs threatening the economic development of the Island he has some important lessons for us on how we can improve our health services and make them affordable. A useful dose of health policy medicine from the good doctor.
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