A Facebook page has been set up to press the case for Manx independence.
Mannin Aboo has attracted about 300 members since its launch earlier this month.

The creator of the site goes under the name of Manannan Mac Leirr who asks: 'Should the Isle of Man be an independent Nation again as it once was. Join if you agree. The Isle of Man forever — Mannin Aboo.'

Meanwhile, nationalist banners have been posted on roadsigns and graffiti sprayed across the roads on the main routes into Peel.

All read Mannin Seyr, which means 'Manx independence'. Signs written in Manx Gaelic were also posted on flagpoles in the town.

The banners were draped on roadsigns on the Poortown Road and the Peel to Kirk Michael coast road the weekend before last, but were soon removed while the graffiti, again on the coast road was washed away in the rain.

Another appeared yesterday (Monday) evening at the top of the Ballagyr hill heading north just outside Peel, and our photographer managed to capture it for readers to see for themselves.

This rise of nationalist sentiment is linked to growing anger at the UK's apparent hostility towards the Island, starting with Chancellor Alistair Darling describing us as a 'tax haven sitting in the Irish Sea', continuing with the scrapping of the reciprocal health agreement and culminating with the raid on our VAT revenues.

Founder of the Manx nationalist party Mec Vannin Bernard Moffatt said there appeared to be a growing number of young people in the Isle of Man getting involved with the Manx language and nationalism.

He said: 'I don't think the UK wants us any more. They want us to stop hanging on to their coat tails and our government is acting like a wailing baby wanting its nanny back.

'With the growing importance of international agreements and international groups, not least the European Union, I think it is possible for states to exist and operate independently.'

But Mr Moffatt criticised the tactics of painting graffiti. He said: 'I always believed in an upfront approach rather that skulking around daubing paint under the cloak of darkness.'

It's not the first time that nationalist sentiment has been expressed in graffiti.

The FSFO arson campaign — in which newly-built properties were attacked as house prices rose in the eighties — led to a number of cases of graffiti on walls.

Support for the Fo Halloo — Manx for 'underground' — movement in the 70s, which questioned immigration into the Isle of Man and the growth of the finance sector, also led to vandalism.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Send your comments to newsviews@newsiom.co.im

YOUR COMMENTS

You can see the powers that be quaking in their collective boots. Who on earth is going to take a facebook site as serious
PEEJAY

For once PEEJAY I am in full accordance with your views. And to Isle of Man Newspapers please please please don't become like Manx Radio News whereby on a quiet newsday they bring on a Moffatt!!
GEOFF, Douglas

At last I know I'm not alone in wanting freedom from the UK. Here's to the end of obeying the rule of dictators of a foreign country!
VLAD THE VIKING

Has no-one noticed the irony here - The Manx are the small minority now, the country is already Englishified. We are an English county. A vote on independence ? From whom exactly ? Send 'em all back to where they came from, we don't need any UK economic predators, nor those unable to get a job in the UK coz they is so useless. Send 'em all back... there's a boat in the morning.
PK.

There used to be a boat in the morning but these days it depends on the weather and terms and conditions etc etc. Much more reliable when it actually was viking boats, as used by those first Nordic 'comeovers' who probably also were asked to leave by whatever Manx amoeba lived here then. Its an island, therefore everyone who ever resided here came by boat, its just some got earlier ones, always was and always will be colonised by others. I work with someone who thinks this island should ban immigrants, "they don't mix" she says, her son lives in Singapore, doesn't speak their language but its ok because he's someone very important in a Western bank, go figure......... Its a big world folks, lots of room for small minds.
GEE THE BEE

Err, Vlad, sorry to burst your rose-tinted bubble, but weren't the Vikings dictators from a foreign land as well (with a different language, culture, economy, military, etc,etc.) ? The fact of the matter remains that while I understand the frustrations of people on this fair island who have been treated with distain by the U.K. Government, we do not have the economic capacity or ability to maintain our own currency (that would have any international exchange value, except for possibly with Zimbabwe) which would allow us to be truly "independent" (if Scotland can't do it for the same reasons, 80 thousand manxies stuck on a rock in the middle of the Irish sea have no chance). Stamping ones nationalistic feet and holding ones breath is something only political infantiles do. If you want to be taken seriously, we need to raise our concerns with someone who cares. Unfortunately, during these difficult economic and political times, no-one in the U.K. does. We will all have to bite the bullet and get on with it as best we can. Searching for independence will only bring more economic turmoil, job losses and turn the Isle of Man back into the dark ages. If Mec Vannin believe that that is progress, they are more blinkered than the tram-horses on the Prom !
THE VOICE OF LIBERAL REASON, Onchan

Nationalism is a very common sentiment and exists in other places beyond the isle of man, for example Scotland and Wales. However, the reason for it is usually either genuine pride, fear or ignorance. There is nothing wrong with being proud if you accept others and have travelled the world and learnt about how others live . You then might return and find reasons to be proud of where you originate from. However, if you have not experienced 'the world' and cannot validate your pride with wisdom and knowledge then you are ignorant. There are also people who live in fear. They are afraid that their lives will change because they are not used to change. This is not their fault; There are people all over the world who live in this way. I suspect that the people who paint slogans on the road and 'rant' about independence are not particularly wise or knowledgeable. If they can't stand up and enter into a debate, they are cowards. I would like to hear about how they would maintain the economy without 'outside' expertise and skills ,particularly in Finance, Medicine and Education. There is a huge amount of co-operation with the UK at present in these and other areas. There are many problems associated with independence, not least the loss of the remaining VAT revenue from the UK agreement. In my opinion it would result in a drain in skills and money away from the island. I may be wrong, but that is what debate is all about. I know that I certainly would not have come to the Island a few years ago if it was an independent state. The reciprocity that it has with my home country was an attraction for me and I'm sure it has been be for many others.
MMc

Graffiti isn't the way to get things done but given that Manx (and UK) politicians don't even bother listening to their voters nowadays what is the way? Of course young people are getting interested in the independence movement - they are sick of living in limbo land where the island's not part of the UK or EU but neither is it independent. They're sick of not being able to look for work in the EU because of our quasi-independent status. The time for independence is now! Plus 'GEE THE BEE', I think you'll find that Singapore has many official languages and one of those is English. It's the language most used in the courts and business and the language which brings its diverse people together. There is no 'Singaporean' language but most speak Chinese languages, Malay or English.
TOM SWADE, Douglas

Regretable, but entirely predictable, that misguided opportunists should choose the re-establishment of the VAT agreement as justification for venting their frustrations on others. Why point to the comparative affluence on the Island and the benefits which still flow from close relations with the UK, when it suits your purposes to be negative and indulge in a dose of xenophobia, conveniently wrapped up in the cloak of nationalism. In case you hadn't noticed, the glass is at least half-full.
NIGHTLINGER

I have travelled and lived in many different countries. I would not call myself wise or knowledgeable, because that would be egotistical. There are many different avenues that we could go down. But let's face it; the UK government is treating the Manx like second class citizens and seems to be trying to make it as hard as they can for us to live here. There's a lot of anti-Manx propaganda out there from the UK government. These are a few of the reasons why I have suggested independence would be a good thing. And I'm not just saying this, I have used all the available information to try and make my own informed opinion. Unlike many of you, I am not in the business of forcing my views down others' throats. So please make your comments regarding this article, but stop your pathetic whining when someone says something you don't like. I would gladly go to any debate set up, but I will stand by my views and defend them when attacked.
VLAD

Considering that the Manx currency is, by Manx constitutional law, supposed to be indexed linked with the amount of gold the Manx government has, I don't see why our currency would fall.
JOHN, Annoyed Historian

Let the Isle of Man negotiate independence from the UK and full membership of the EU. In that way we get to raise our own VAT revenues and we receive reciprocal healthcare treatment (from the UK in particular). Other European finance centres such as Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta seem to do well from full EU membership.
PAUL B