On Thursday, April 24, 2025, I was elected to Douglas Council representing South Douglas. Yes, a year ago this week. Unfortunately, it was the only contested election in the Douglas Council local authority general elections.

It wasn’t the first time I had been elected to the council, the first being on November 1, 1983 as a 29-year-old Manx Labour Party candidate for St George’s Ward. I won in a three-way contest against veteran campaigner Inky Faragher and Malcolm Black.

At that time the council consisted of 24 members - 18 directly elected from the six wards (Hills, Derby, Victoria, St George’s, Athol and Murrays) and six aldermen, long-serving former councillors who comprised the aldermanic bench. While a number of them became good friends over time, it must be recognised that they were perhaps overly influential in some council decisions.

At that time, my manifesto included the much-needed refurbishment of older council-owned properties, rent and rates reform, and recreational facilities for young people. Change too often takes a long time.

During my time on the council I served on the Transport, Works and Health committees, and I was elected to the Pulrose Youth Club committee, first as secretary and then for 18 years as chairman.

The mayor for the municipal year 1984/85 was my MLP colleague Alfie Duggan, a kind and well-respected man who operated a taxi and funeral directors business from the Manor House in Pulrose with his family, in particular his son Adrian, who was to be my South Douglas MHK partner in the House of Keys for many years.

Matty Ward, then MHK for South Douglas, was elevated to the Legislative Council in 1985 and I was endorsed as the official MLP candidate to contest the by-election, which took place on Thursday, April 25, 1985.

In my manifesto I spoke about the annually increasing numbers of people on the dole. Young people, upon leaving school, were denied what I saw as a basic right - the right to work. Record numbers of building workers were unemployed and I called for infrastructure works to be undertaken even during a period of recession.

I highlighted the rapidly rising costs of food, fuel and energy bringing people into the poverty trap. The controversial subject of the impact of Sellafield (Windscale) featured, as did the need to modernise social legislation regarding employment rights.

I also suggested that the Bowl and King George V Park should become the national sports complex for the Isle of Man, with a complete redevelopment of the site including a purpose-built indoor sports centre and running track. Little did I know at the time that I would later be tasked with leading that development.

For those who sometimes say things were easier then, I remind them that more than 3,000 people - from a much smaller working population - were unemployed, there were virtually no financial reserves, and industrial relations were at times fragile.

The general election for the House of Keys followed on November 27, 1986 and I was re-elected, one vote behind Adrian Duggan in South Douglas.

The economic climate remained challenging. The Council of Ministers was established and, for those who say things were better before under the board system, I repeat the words of former chairman of the Executive Council Percy Radcliffe, who described the previous position as ‘twenty four unguided missiles’.

The first Chief Minister elected was Miles Walker, with a cabinet representative of differing shades of political opinion and a focus on ‘the development of a prosperous and caring society’.

Both sides of industry, representing employers and employees, were properly involved in policy development. Having lived through difficult times, there was an appetite to diversify and grow the economy to support stability and social improvement.

Not everything was perfect - far from it. The later 1980s saw an overheating of the economy, which led to some social unrest, particularly around the provision of affordable housing.

A focused policy of encouraging younger, economically active people to join the Island proved successful in developing the skills needed for economic growth. One side effect was increased demand for schools, leading to investment in new facilities.

I topped the poll in South Douglas in 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and 2011. In my 1991 manifesto I spoke about economic development alongside the private sector, noting that reserves stood at £2.3 million in 1981, £6.7 million in 1986 and had increased to £64 million by 1991.

Improvements to social legislation had been introduced, and I was pleased to play my part as a member of the Social Issues Committee. I also put forward a successful amendment which meant Isle of Man workers became eligible for redundancy pay after two years rather than five as originally proposed.

Tynwald also unanimously adopted the principle of equal pay and the elimination of discrimination in employment - an issue on which, five years earlier, I had been one of only a few voices calling for legislation.

I also moved a resolution seeking a report into the then sometimes taboo subject of suicide on our Island - a matter I continued to pursue until my retirement in 2020.

With the support of Local Government Minister Tony Brown, a scheme was finally brought forward to demolish and rebuild Lower Pulrose, where many homes were, as I described at the time, ‘past their best’. It was a strong community that deserved modern living conditions.

This piece can only cover some of the headlines and, within our system, it is inevitable that not everything proposed will be achieved.

I was a long-time campaigner for local authority reform, a fair settlement on nursing and residential care costs, a fairer rating system, and democratic reform in Tynwald - all of which remain live issues.

I successfully moved the Residence Bill in Tynwald, which would have introduced a gateway system similar to those in several Commonwealth countries to help secure the skills the Island needs. However, it has never been implemented.

I served as a minister for 18 years under four different Chief Ministers and was perhaps best remembered as the self-styled ‘Minister of Fun’.

So what about the last year back on the now 12-member city council? Well I have always been a ‘people person’, so I enjoy meeting constituents and others to try and help. Here I apologise - it’s great when I can assist, but I am the first to apologise when I have not been able to.

I am not someone who can just sit around, so given my previous experience I have plenty of time to fully play my part as a member of all three council committees.

I am very keen to play my part in facilitating affordable and appropriate housing. I want to do a full term as I didn’t 40 years ago, in the town, now city, of my birth.