LAST month the Isle of Man celebrated its national holiday, Tynwald Day, named for the parliament of the island which is reckoned to be the oldest continuously operated parliament in the world.
It is an establishment of which the Manx people are proud, and they are also glad to be a Crown Dependency rather than a fully incorporated part of the United Kingdom – in the past it was ruled by Scotland and England, but never joined the UK.
The trouble with Man is that it is too small for big political parties and the only real Manx Nationalist Party – though they never call themselves nationalists – is Mec Vannin, the name meaning Sons of Mann.
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The party has been around since the early 1960s, and while members of the Tynwald are usually non-party political in name, many supporters of Mec Vennin have made it into the Tynwald.
Some try to portray Mec Vannin as an anti-immigrant party, and that’s fair enough as their policy is stated as such: “The rapid and unnatural population increase, due to an open door policy on immigration, has increased the burden on the island’s infrastructure and environment whilst eroding the fabric of community life. As a result, Mec Vannin believes the immediate introduction of immigration controls to be a priority.
“A careful balance between population, infrastructure and environment must be maintained to ensure the long-term viability of the island’s economy, ecology and quality of life.”
In all other aspects, however, Mec Vannin is social democratic and even left-wing in nature. Its declared aim is “to achieve national independence for Mann as a sovereign state, based on a republican form of government. To further and safeguard the interests of Mann. To protect the individual and collective rights of its people”.
On the lax tax regime which makes Man so attractive to the wealthy, the party states: “Although such Mec Vannin policies as have been adopted by governments in the Isle of Man have proven successful, the administrations continue to be quite obviously the hand-maidens of wealthy tax-avoiders, both individual and corporate.
“The policies that attract these entities to the Island have overwhelmingly been to the detriment of the Manx people who have been subject to marginalisation, minoritisation and discrimination.”
The party doesn’t like the international financial institutions which have set up home in the island’s capital, Douglas, and elsewhere on Man.
“Mec Vannin remains fundamentally opposed to the presence of the international finance industry in Mann,” they state.
“We believe it to be morally dubious for both ourselves and for its effects upon the Third World.
“From an economic standpoint, we do not believe that reliance upon this transient industry will secure our long-term future.”
In May’s elections, the Tynwald saw a distinct lurch to the right in its membership which brought a stinging condemnation from Mec Vannin.
They stated: “This does not augur well for the less privileged in our community or the Manx people as a nation.
“At a time of financial hardship, the working and disabled poor are the ones that take the biggest hit.
“We should be ashamed that in our country, where riches abound, there are food banks.
“Obviously continuing the tradition of being in bed with the Chamber of Commerce, rather than investing in the local people who have a vested interest in succeeding, another open invitation to the wide boys for whom it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t work – it’s our money not theirs going down the pan. Further erosion of the work permit regulations is a sure way of inviting a low-wage economy for workers with rich pickings for the bosses.
“Strict work permit regulations must be implemented. Government must not kowtow to the narrow interests of Chamber of Commerce.
“The Government must invest in future of its people, particularly the traditional industries that will provide food security and restrict imports that we ourselves can provide.
“We need a progressive income tax to pay for essential services and utilities. Essential, means those things that a civilised nation should expect – freedom from hunger, shelter, physical and mental health care, the means through education to achieve a productive future for subsequent generations.
“We need a government that will act as a national government rather than an English county council with income tax powers. The objective should be to protect and nurture the people of the Isle of Man, in particular the vulnerable. This is surely not too much to ask.
“Mec Vannin has tasked itself to challenge the Government on every occasion it strays from doing what it is honour-bound to do – that is, to do what is in the best interests of the Isle of Man and its people.”
There is no overwhelming demand for a referendum on the future of the Isle of Man, but after more than 50 years, Mec Vannin is still campaigning for a different future.
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