In the latest instalment of the Isle of Man Examiner series of interviews with the new MHKs elected in September, PAUL SPELLER talks to Martyn Perkins, one of two new MHKs in Garff. The Department of Economic Development member has words of advice for taxi drivers and tells how a reformed ’prat’ helped him decide to stand for election.

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First impressions count, Martyn Perkins believes, and that includes the ones made to the island’s visitors.

He wants us to be more positive about the Isle of Man when greeting guests, but accepts the government needs to do more to give us reason to do so.

We meet just days after the Department of Economic Development - of which he is a member - has battled to extricate itself from another sticky situation, this time the row over Bushy’s right to use TT in its merchandise.

The only real surprise about the public outcry that followed the letter to Bushy’s, whose beer tent on Douglas seafront has become synonymous with the TT, was that anyone was surprised there was a public outcry.

By the time we meet, hostilities between Bushy’s and the DED appear to have ceased and an agreement reached. Mr Perkins, who was not directly involved in the issue, is keen to move on.

’The DED is making sure all aspects of revenue from the TT are being chased up by the department,’ he says.

When pressed, he concedes the department needs to work on how it handles its issues in public, following a bruising year that has seen unseemly fights with Vision9 and concert promoter TinyCow.

But he can take positives from the criticism the department has faced, much of it dating back to before the election, saying it demonstrates a level of engagement from the public that might not be so apparent in other jurisdictions.

The trick, he believes, will be to tap into that level of engagement and use it for the benefit of everyone.

The timing of our conversation, a week before the Programme for Government debate, coincides with a more positive 48 hours for the DED. The news that the Isle of Man will host cycling’s British National Road Race Championships here has just been announced and, the day after we talk, it is revealed that the Isle of Man Aircraft Register has been named the Best Global Aviation Registry in World Commerce Review Magazine’s 2017 awards.

This all fits in nicely with Mr Perkins’ desire for us to be a little more positive.

He says we all need to ’up our game’ in welcoming people to the island, particularly those of us who meet visitors on a regular basis.

’The last thing you want is to get in a taxi and you have a guy moaning all the way to Douglas talking about what is wrong with the Isle of Man.

’These guys have to realise they are the shop window on the Isle of Man and it is their jobs that are going to go first if we don’t get people coming in.’

But isn’t it a big ask of a public, who might be disillusioned with their government, to put on a smiley face and sell the island? Isn’t that the job of the government?

’It is everybody. The new government. Bar staff, people like you and me,’ he says. ’The island is a friendly place. We have to really get everyone on board to make sure visitors have a good experience.

’Everybody in the island wants it to do well and we cannot afford to fail. We have to harness all that together.’

I mention that is a brave move to mention taxi drivers in particular.

’Taxi drivers, you have to make them feel they make a difference. They are so important. People want a service with a smile.

’We should be proud of what we have got. It is about instilling a feel-good factor.’

It will be a hard push in some of the other service industries.

’It is difficult to motivate people that are low-paid, but that can be solved to a certain degree. At the moment, if you are low-paid, there is low unemployment, so if you want to improve your prospects, have a look around. There are opportunities out there.

’It is easy for me to say that,’ he acknowledges. ’We should encourage people to have a look around, see what is going on.’

Whichever side you take in the dispute between the DED and promoter TinyCow, or on the wider debate over the costs of other concerts staged here, it does raise the question of to what level, if any, government should be involved in putting on such events in the Isle of Man.

For instance, do we accept that, in order to bring to the island the kind of acts we want to see at the government-owned and operated Villa Marina and the Gaiety Theatre, sometimes a loss will be made?

Mr Perkins does not believe so. ’We have got to make it make a profit. We have got to get people coming to help make a profit.

’I think we have got to look at things slightly differently. We have not been good at organising events in the past and we have got to look at alternative ways of how we put the events on for the public and make money out of it.

’Work is being done behind the scenes.’

Mr Perkins, 61, has come to politics after a long career in business as a director of precision aerospace engineering company Manx Engineers.

Some of the experiences he had via the factory floor helped him to decide to make his move into politics.

’I am interested in people and what makes them tick, because that is what gets the best out of them,’ he says.

’We had one employee who was going through an horrendous divorce and the guy was a wreck. He was working and did not have legal aid. I got talking to him and offered to represent him. We got more access (to the children), which was what he was after.

’That shows you can make a difference if you raise your head above the parapet.’

The moment he knew he was going to stand came after he had already sought the opinion of others and word had started to get around. He bumped into a former employee - one he had sacked.

’"Perkins," he said, "are you running for MHK? You get my vote." I said, "Why is that?" He said, "You were always very fair. I was a bit of a prat at the time!"’

Sometimes, you just know.