First of all a happy, heathy 2022 to everyone.

Thanks so much for your regular feedback when we meet or at [email protected]

Another year gone. Unsettling times for many. What did you do New Year’s Eve?

To be fair, since the Millennium New Year’s Eve has not had quite the same impact it once had.

But now we are experiencing exceptional times.

Despite the best efforts of a number of businesses many people are exercising caution with their social lives, in particular before Christmas. In some aspects of retail the period after Christmas and up until Easter was called the ’kipper season’ as business was so slow they couldn’t afford meat!

I sincerely hope that the government support enables businesses to carry on during this difficult time with hopefully a little more positive news in the time ahead.

There are few things more distressing than unemployment.

Despite difficult times at the present time the numbers are much better than they could be.

In 1985 when I was first elected we had over 3,500 people out of work from a lower working population.

Winter works schemes were in place to try to offer some temporary support as even then employment remained quite seasonal in certain sectors.

It could be argued though that there was little real purpose in many of the schemes and what was required was something more permanent.

We also had limited financial reserves but with the onset of the ministerial system under first Chief Minister Miles Walker the ’strap line’ of the new administration was one which for me still resonates today: ’The development of a prosperous and caring society.’

It is quite obvious that in order to progress socially-inclusive policies we must have the finances to facilitate such.

Government, employer and employee organisation cooperation was encouraged and long overdue social legislation was introduced.

Sadly, in some areas it was suggested the moon would fall out of the sky if employment rights were improved.

Fortunately, the more progressive voices prevailed and we moved several steps forward.

Reading some of what Dr Alex Allinson has been saying in the last week or so on the subject of cooperation and diversification to ensure economic growth in the time ahead hopefully resonates that we need to work together and see the same hunger for opportunities, of course sustainable ones, in the time ahead.

With climate change and given our strategic position there must be areas of speciality where a number of businesses can cooperate.

Just as has been the case in the ship and aircraft registers and in wealth management, where a quality personal service can set us apart.

Indeed more than that, in the years that followed the economic success of the island over 30 plus years is well documented. Economic growth for its own sake though is not a sound policy.

What is required is sustainable economic growth which has an increased relevance today.

The same argument in my view prevails when considering the so-called ’high net worth residents policy’.

What is best for our island is not simply enticing very wealthy individuals to locate and pay less percentage wise than workers in taxes but an active encouragement of those who wish to establish businesses and create real employment. This becomes even more important when considering the ageing population demographics that prevail currently. I suggested this at the time the policy was introduced and there have been a number of success stories but we should be more proactive in a very competitive world.

Two factors are of immediate concern firstly the ongoing and concerning trend of young people leaving the island for several reasons but I would suggest the principal reason being the current housing crisis.

Secondly we need the same younger people and other skilled individuals to be in meaningful employment, paying taxes and thus helping support the economy and its needs.

Housing has always presented challenges for the population.

In the past there have been a number of schemes of assistance, indeed a government mortgage and loan scheme was available.

There were also schemes that provided land for self build. Local authority housing had been built but due to financial restraints in the early days when I was first elected it was a case of either refurbishment schemes to provide long overdue improvements or new build.

Sadly, there was over an extended period an absence of new builds to the extent that at the recent general election there was throughout the island a consistent theme of making new builds a priority in this administration.

Now this, as stated previously, is not a new issue. Indeed, some of us were due to meet the minister with principal responsibility for housing to discuss policies prior to the election but the meeting we were due to attend was called off.

To be fair it could legitimately be argued that a global pandemic overtook a number of long overdue policy initiatives including rate reform, fairness in older persons nursing and residential care, local authority reform (although once again because of the constituency make up of ministers there was little, if any, appetite for meaningful reform) and other social issues.

The new administration has established the requirement of a housing board under the chairmanship of Chris Thomas so let’s hope this results in more action rather than more ongoing discussion.

Previous experiences have indicated that there is nothing worse than waiting for a crisis before acting. Indeed in the late 1980s a series of kneejerk and ill-conceived policies resulted in scenes of young Manx people lining up to see if they could be lucky enough to qualify for a first time buyers house. This must never happen again.

Investment by government in ’bricks and mortar’ is not only a central part of encouraging our young people to return and to encourage skilled workers and entrepreneurs to join us in moving forward but it makes sound economic sense.

Government reserves have performed well generally but I would suggest an ethical and inclusive policy in terms of housing policies would predicate the current them-and-us feeling felt by many.

Government withdrew from providing mortgages on the basis that the need was met by the private sector but perhaps with the current climate this should be revisited.

I hope so because we shouldn’t back off from what might be seen by some as a radical development, we need to be open to all options.

I’ve said before here one of my proudest achievements was working with Tony Brown as then Local Government Minister and the Treasury of the day to redevelop Lower Pulrose.

A great community but housing well past its best.

Several attempts at refurbishment had been unsuccessful and the local authority had no policy on the matter.

Boldness was needed and it saw a substantial improvement in the housing conditions.

I would argue that the same boldness demonstrated by the last administration in terms of its acquisition of the Steam Packet Company is required now in terms of housing policies not only for the current generation but for those in the time ahead.

What better legacy for the future than the provision of good quality, affordable housing to assist in the ongoing development and diversification of the economy and of even more importance facilitating our own young people to remain and play their part in the land of our birth?