The Isle of Man is run by ’idiots’.

That’s the damning verdict of a departing union leader.

Angela Moffatt said: ’There is so much potential wasted on this island - because of the idiots in charge of it.

’They do not know what they are doing and do not set any direction.’

Ms Moffatt - who is moving from her position as negotiations officer for public sector union Prospect in the island, to establish the trade union in Northern Ireland - said she felt some optimism over the newer MHKs but was damning of those in the Council of Ministers.

’We have got a government of duffers,’ she said. ’They are appalling quality.

’Most of them are there just simply because there isn’t anyone else.

’I defy anybody to tell me that we have a government that inspires confidence and respect.’

She added: ’I think some of the new brood that are coming through have potential, but I understand that they are being overloaded with information, which is a typical tactic to keep them from being effective.’

Manx-born Ms Moffatt - who has lived here for the past 21 years - said the Isle of Man still lagged behind other jurisdictions in terms of employment legislation.

’There has been ample opportunity to reform employment law here, for the benefit of everyone on this island,’ she said. ’They are not interested, and they are not educated about the issues that affect working people.’

She lamented the fact that TUPE - Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) - had not been brought in and said it remained to be seen whether the much-vaunted Equality Act would have a meaningful impact in improving workers’ rights.

All was not lost however, she said. The island could catch up employment rights.

’If we have legislators willing to change it, yes,’ she said. ’But we don’t.’

Education in the island was an indicator of how the way the Isle of Man was run was ’unbelievable’.

treated

’I look at the teaching profession and there are some amazing teaching professionals in this island and I don’t see how those people are supported and valued by the Isle of Man Government in terms of the way they are treated as workers,’ she said.

’We need to resource education properly. We need to develop our children according to their needs and according to the island’s needs.’

It was the same across other areas of government she said, singling out health as another example.

Her wide-ranging criticism begged the obvious question of what the island could do.

She said the island’s working population and business sector was resourceful - and it was that resilience of the Manx community that often bailed out under-performing governments.

’We need to elect better people,’ she said. ’We need better people to come forward.

’But I think we have a population, because it is talented and resourceful, that falls back on its own resources ultimately, to deliver what is needed.’

During her time as the voice of public sector workers, Ms Moffatt often found herself at loggerheads with the government, but on other occasions she also worked with it to stare down some of the unique challenges the island faces.

Her reputation as a firebrand has not been entirely without foundation, but she said many employers were pleasantly surprised when they realised that she was just as happy to work with them to get the best deal for all concerned.

She believes there is a growing awareness of the value of trade unions to the economy and that partnerships and co-operation between bosses and their workforces produced positive results.

achievement

The biggest achievement of Prospect during her time at the helm, she said, was increasing membership. It is now 2,400 and growing.

Unions have adapted with the times.

’I think the role is changing. We have to be quite diverse in terms of the service that we offer, because people want different things from the union.’

As to what she will miss most about the Isle of Man, she said that, after the people, it would be Manx produce in general and Noa bread in particular.

Noa Bakehouse is just around the corner from the Prospect offices and many a meeting was arranged there, or a takeout collected.

The challenge of finding an adequate replacement for Noa, near to her new workplace, may match the that of setting up Prospect in a different jurisdiction.

Those who have met Ms Moffatt know that she will shy away from neither.