• INDEPENDENCE NOW - OR SELL-OUT LATER!
• "Politically a  Gentle Giant"
• At Last! The Bilingual Column Which Our Competitors Wouldn't Dare Print!
• Tooilley Thieyn Noa?
• More New Houses?
• Eurotalk
• Let colonials be colonials and the Manx be Manx.
• Eshyn ta g'eeck da'n phiobeyr, vel eh reih yn carr?

Mec Vannin's policy as set out in the Policy Document of the Party is:

"To achieve national independence for Mann as a sovereign state, based on a republican form of government". This objective is set "to further and safeguard the interests of Mann" and "protect the individual and collective rights of its people". Never was there a more pressing time to take the final step in controlling our own destiny. The United Kingdom government has demonstrated during this decade its willingness to interfere in the internal affairs of our Island. The United Kingdom government and the powerful business interests that control it make no secret of the fact that their ultimate objective is greater integration into the European Union. The steps towards that greater integration will involve a sell-out by the British of the interests of the small nations on its peripheries, including ourselves. Whatever our ultimate relationship with the EU, whilst it is fashioned by the British, we will always get a second-class deal.

The Labour government has never been any great friend of the Manx people and indeed in the United Kingdom it has shown little hesitation at selling out the interests of its own supporters. Blair's guiding parameter is power not principle and his ultimate aim is clearly a desire to be a "major player" on the European scene.

To effect that role the embarrassment caused to the UK government by the tax regimes in the Isle of Mann and the Channel Isles will be ended. Already the UK is showing a great willingness to be flexible over another "off-shore" problem, Gibraltar, and the impact that has on its EU relationship with Spain. Make no mistake Manx: Channel Islanders and Gibraltarians will all be sold-out within the life time of this UK Labour administration.

Despite what our current Chief Minister 'spouts' about the 'good relationship' that he has with Lord Mostyn, this confidence is misplaced. Mostyn (minister responsible, on a part time basis, for the Island's relationship with the UK) is a political light-weight with limited influence. The Chief Minister shows a dangerous naivety in his approach to these issues - given the manner in which he was treated by the new British Home Secretary who, unveiled the "Edwards" surprise to both the colonial relic (the Governor) at Government House and the media, before he consulted the Manx government.

Blair and his government are not to be trusted. It is past time we divorced ourselves from England and directed our own destiny on the European and world scene.

J B Moffatt
President MEC VANNIN

"Politically a  Gentle Giant"

an Obituary for Jack Irving - late President of Mec Vannin

Jack Irving, the late President of Mec Vannin, who died in September last year, will be much missed at this year's Tynwald Day. Every year for as long as there has been a Mec Vannin presence at Tynwald Hill, Jack was a familiar figure around the stall supporting the effort physically and also engaging, with his sharp wit.

A founder member of our Party, his nationalist origins went much further back. Indeed, as a youth he was involved in Aeglagh Vannin, founded by the late Mona Douglas. From conversations with Jack at the time we both joined the fledgling Party in the early 1960s, it was also clear that he had been involved with other Nationalist activists in attempting unsuccessfully to 'kick-start' a National political movement many years before Mec Vannin was founded.

It is difficult in these more tolerant times to appreciate the fear that people had about becoming involved actively in National politics in the 1960s. It is also impossible to understand the vitriolic attitude that existed, at the time, towards those in the new movement. In those difficult times politically Jack was a gentle giant of a man. He was prominent in chairing and promoting the Party and it was he who suggested that we go on the offensive against those who questioned our credibility. He stood himself as first candidate for the Party to the House of Keys. He also initiated an approach by the Party to the Island's Lt. Governor and led those talks.

The role he played on the inter-Celtic scene has already been recorded in CARN, the Celtic League journal, and his support for the broader movement continued right up until his death.

However, it was to the Manx National Party that he owed his first allegiance and his commitment was total. He stayed with the Party through all its splits and schisms. He supported those who came under criticism because their nationalist zeal enthusiasm for direct action exceeded what the Party establishment of the day thought allowable. When factions emerged he tried to mend fences.

In many ways he was a President in waiting to Mec Vannin long before he formally was elected to the role.

As Mec Vannin's fortunes rose and fell he often reminded the more impatient amongst us that this would he a long project and almost prophetically, over twenty years ago, at a session of the Party which had waxed unduly critical of the Keys he said, "You know in ten or twenty years time there will he people in the Keys who will say nationalists weren't radical enough - now they are scurrying around sweeping; our graffiti off the roads".

In many ways, unlike many of his contemporaries. Jack was extremely fortunate. He lived long enough to see the changes
in the other Celtic countries and was especially pleased by the moves to establish legislatures in Scotland and Wales. Even these developments however were tinged with regret at the progress here. One of Jack's final remarks was to the effect that Scotland, Wales and Ireland might yet have their independence and the Manx would still be saying "traa dy liooar"

Bernard Moffatt

Tooilley Thieyn Noa?

Shiuish ta jeean er Radio Vannin as y cloudeyrys ayns Mannin va fakin ny clashtyn reeshtagh veih ny jantee thallooin dy vel genney dy hieyn ayns Mannin. T'eh jeeaghyn dy vel roauyr dy oikyn as thieyn braew stoamey nagh vod adsyn ta shirrey thieyn fordrail goll er troggal ec yn traa t'ayn. Myr shen cha nel thieyn cooie ayn dauesyn ta shirrey kionnaghey thie noa son y chied keayrt as ta ny jantee thallooin laccal acyryn neuventit son lheid ny thieyn shoh y hroggal.

Cha nel mee dy bollagh noi ny jantee thallooin (wahll, breagerey mish) as ta lane fys aym dy vel eh jeeaghyn dy vel tooilley feme son thieyn ayns Mannin 'sy lhing ain jiu na va rieau. Ta fys mie aym neesht dy vel dy chooilley pheiagh ta jannoo dellalys shirrey tooilley argid glen ec jerrey y vlein argidoil, as cha nhegin dooin shen y yarrood. Dy jed whilleen dy hieyn er hroggal as ta ny jantee thallooin geearree, hig ad dy ve berchagh dy liooar - cha nee shirveish y theay agh shirveish daue hene t'ayn!

Dagh blein ta'n chaghteraght cheddin currit dooin lioroosyn ta geearree mooadaghey ny cosnaghyn oc - mannagh vel tooilley thieyn as oikyn troggit dy leah, hig geyre-ghaue da'n vargey thieys. Yioym rish dy nhegin da paart dy hieyn goll er troggal dagh blein agh car ny jeih bleeaney as feed t'er n'gholl shaghey ta'n shenn Ellan Vannin er ve stroiet lesh steatyn-thie graney neu-vriwnyssit. Cha nod yn ellan ain gymmyrkey whillin dy hieyn goll er troggal car ny jeih bleeaney as feed shoh cheet er lhiam.

Agh cha nee mish mv lomarcan ta smooinaghtyn myr shoh. Coardail rish yn Reayrtys Gallup va jeant ayns 1990 cha row agh 10% dooin ayns Mannin geearree mooadaghey yn earroo dy lieh va cummal er nyn n ellan. Va shoh mysh jeih bleeaney er dy henney as ta kiare ny queig thousane dy yoaree er jeet gys shoh neayr's shen.

Myr shen, t'eh feer scanshoil nagh vel yn reiltys ain geiyrt er yn raad ta soilshit liorish ny jantee thallooin as thie. Shegin dooin ooilley smooinaghtyn dy dowin er yn chummey vees er nyn ellan 'sy traa ry-heet mannagh dermayd sthap er ny steatyn-thie ta sthampey foue ny lheeannagyn glass Vannin.

Mysh feed blein er dy henney v'adsyn va boirrey mychione ny gaueyn jeh roauyr dy hollaghar 'syn aer, er y thalloo as 'sy cheayn as yn aght va farrysyn cheerey as boodeeyssyn goll er lhiasaghey dy neuymmyrkagh, coontit dy ve ass nyn geayll. Nish ta ooilley ny reiltyssyn mooarey cur scansh trome da shoh myr t'eh baghtal nish dy jean caghlaaghyn mooarey cheet mannagh dermayd arrym da'n theill.

Nagh vel eh traa dooin ayns Mannin dy chooney lesh Tinvaal dy chroo polaseeyn foddee yn ellan shoh gymmyrkey as nagh vel mhilley yn edd am hene. Ny smoo na shen, lhig dooin shaghney ny shenn aghtyn tootagh as jollysagh va geiyrt er argid ny lomarcan gyn scansh da'n cheer as da'n theay.

Those who are keen followers of Manx current affairs will have read in the papers or heard on Manx Radio that once again estate agents are warning of a shortage of houses in the Isle of Man. It appears that too many office blocks and fine grand houses, which those who want houses can't afford, are being built at the moment. Consequently there are no houses suitable for those who want to buy a new house for the first time and the estate agents are now wanting some virgin acres on which to build such houses.

I can understand the estate agent's position and I appreciate that there appears to be a much greater demand for new houses in the Isle of Man in this modern age than ever there was. I also know that everyone in business wants to increase their profits at the end of each financial year and we should not forget this. If as many houses were built as the estate agents are calling for, their profits would indeed rise - after all their businesses exist primarily to serve the interests of their directors and shareholders not the general public!

Each year the same message is presented to us by those who wish to maximise their profits - 'if more houses and offices aren't built soon there'll be a crisis in the property market'. While we all accept that some houses will have to be built each year we have seen over the past 30 years or so unsightly poorly planned housing estates despoil the old Isle of Man. Our island can not sustain even a fraction of this number of houses being built over the next 30 years.

It's not just me that thinks this. According to the 1990 Gallup survey which was carried out for the Manx Government only 10% of the population wanted to see the population of the Isle of Man increase. This was nearly 10 years ago and we've had another three or four thousand new residents since then.

So it is important that our Government does not follow the road plotted by the estate agents and developers. We must think seriously what sort of island we will have in the future if we don't stop the new houses smothering the green fields of Mann.

About twenty years ago those who worried about pollution of the land, air and sea and the unsustainability of economic and social development were dismissed as cranks and nutcases. Now most of the major Governments in the west are taking these worries very seriously as it is clear that significant (potentially damaging environmental and social changes will occur if we don't alter our ways.

Is it not now time for us in the Isle of Man to help Tynwald create policies for sustainable development for our island which do not lead to us spoiling our own nest? More than that should we not renounce the narrow minded profit centred approach to development which has so vigorously been pursued in the past, pursued as it was without a care for the people or country.

Phil Gawne

This article was supposed to be printed in one of the Manx newspapers a few months ago at a time when estate agents backed up by a few politicians were calling for new housing developments. The findings of the 1990 Gallup survey and the undoubted view of most Manx residents that population growth, if needed at all, must be modest, are valid reasons for pointing out that people directly involved in building and development have more than the interests of the Manx public at heart when they call for more housing. Clearly, elements of the Manx press did not think so!

In 1993, a party of Swiss lawyers were invited to Mannin in an effort to establish financial trading links. Mec Vannin made it clear to both government and the Swiss that Europe was taking an increasingly dim view of "tax-anomalies" and that action would start to be taken to clamp down upon them, probably around the turn of the century. This was based upon a report by the European Court of Auditors. Though not part of the EU, the EU impacts heavily upon us and the EU is well capable of exerting influence via the UK. Indeed, the UK ultimately has the power to legislate over our heads in whatever fashion it chooses.

For our efforts in drawing this matter to our government's attention, we were accused of scare-mongering and worse. The advent of a very pro-Europe Labour government in the UK brought this threat much closer and, surprise surprise, we had something called the Edward's Review.

The "official" line is now, as it was then, that Europe cannot interfere with our affairs. That's a very different attitude to the Attorney General's interpretation of Protocol 3, who now says that we are not allowed to have our own laws for food production and packaging! And if Europe can't affect us, why has the government created investigating committee after investigating committee into the matter of tax harmonisation etc?

There is an agenda here. Mec Vannin knew it seven years ago and told the government. The government has waited to find out the hard way but still denies it.

A recent article in the "Isle of Man Examiner" reveals that the UK Home Office intend advertising the position of Lieutenant Governor. It has often been questioned in the past as to why the LG could not come from within our own community.

The disgraceful manner in which the news of the "Edwards Review" was revealed to the LG and Chief Secretary Fred Kissack but withheld from the Chief Minister demonstrates, in my opinion, why the LG shouldn't be Manx. As long as we are a colony of a foreign power, let the foreign over-seer be just that: We shouldn't call upon a member of our own community to fulfil a Quisling role.

Mark Kermode

It has long been accepted in the field of professional sport etc. that sponsorship entails catering, at least to an extent, to the wants of an individual sponsor. He who pays the piper calls the tune, as they say in English.

In amateur activities, the slant used to be very much different. That seems to be changing, however: Many activities that used to benefit from sponsorship have grown to rely upon it and some sponsors are using this fact to exert influence. Gone are the days of "The Lurgey Cripperty Hill Climb supported by a Local Retailer." Now the format tends to be "The Large Merchant Bank Lurgey Cripperty Hill Climb." The subtle change of emphasis has a psychological impact that the sponsors are well aware of. This impact may be used to heighten their advertising profile or to encourage a form of community loyalty. It also implies that "without us, you wouldn't have it."

To date, the Manx language has escaped the worse ravages of sponsorship and, whereas the language and the language movement is apolitical, it is well known that many within the movement have strong political beliefs that include firm opposition to current government policy regarding the finance industry. This includes many members of Mec Vannin. The more astute within both commerce and government recognise the emotive power of the language and the question must be posed - would we see the level of support for the language from the government and private sector without that political dimension? Is someone hoping to call a particular tune?

Those within the language movement should never lose sight of the fact that the language was saved by the efforts of those who believed in it, not ny the government or sponsorship. The language is the property of the people who speak it. both collectively and individually, and the day that the politically active speakers are asked, in whatever fashion, to temper or moderate their views for fear of rocking some boat or other, is the day the language really has died.

Mark Kermode