IOM government conference

[english zloty]

The Villa was embarrassingly empty. The Comis has dividing walls if needed. On the basis of the previous two, the backroom in the Rovers will do.

[2112]

I saw this on the 3fm website with Home Affairs and Justice Minister Jane Poole Wilson giving a speech at the IOMG Conference on Immigration and Border Security. Would she have given a speech ordinarily, but has to address the issue as a result of the King Gaming debacle. In a way, IOMG will use this to punish ordinary hard working and law abiding islanders, with new rules and regulations. From 3fm - 

How is the government controlling immigration and stopping organised crime from using the Island?

That's the topic that'll be explored at an annual government conference at the Comis Hotel in Santon later this month.

Day two of the event will see a spotlight on safety and security, with Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson due to present a strategy to prevent organised criminals from exploiting free movement.,

There'll also be updates from Customs and the Cabinet Office, as well as the opportunity to ask questions.

[Roger Mexico]

The 3FM piece is just because they've put out a new press release on the Conference, presumably to try to drum up some more business (especially from business).

If you look at the Agenda, Poole-Wilson's speech is described as:

PRESENTATION: Keeping our Island safe Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Jane Poole-Wilson MHK Minister Jane Poole-Wilson will outline the strategy adopted to keep our Island safe from organised criminals looking to exploit free movement at our ports.

So it looks more like justification for filling Jurby with Scouse drug mules, though it's possible they are thinking of introducing their ridiculous border force proposals again, because travelling isn't irritating enough already.

The following two talks may be more relevant:

PRESENTATION: Immigration service – improvements and protections Sandra Simpson, Head of Customs and Immigration Division Sandra Simpson will update on the Island’s immigration services, covering recent changes, challenges, and future strategies. She will highlight efforts to streamline processes, enhance customer services and strengthen protections and enforcement.

PRESENTATION & PANEL Q&A: What incentives and disincentives should shape inward migration to the Isle of Man? Dr Megan Mathias MBE, Chief Operating Officer Cabinet Office, will present the recently published Inward Migration Incentives & Disincentives, drawing out key proposals for discussion by the panel, and opening up to Q&A with attendees.

Now control of the Immigration Service was removed from Cabinet Office in January and put in with Customs and Excise (nominally in Treasury).  Clearly the UK - who devolves some control to the Island (and could easily take it back) weren't happy with the way things were being controlled.  So we probably see an interesting clash between Cabinet Office and DfE telling the assembled business folk they can bring in anyone thye want and pay them as little as possible.  And Treasury telling them they can't.

 

[Roger Mexico]

Manx Radio has a typically innumerate story today:

More than 400 people have signed up to attend this year’s Isle of Man Government Conference.

The event is taking place on 17 and 18 September at The Comis Hotel.

Figures provided by the Department for Enterprise show 257 people have registered for the first day and 202 for the second.

It doesn't seem to have occurred to them that some people might have registered for both days (the headline for once is more accurate and just mentions 'registrations').

But it's still still some way from last years final registrations (508 for the evening, 597 for the full day).  And the other problem is no shows.  On the figures in the link, I reckon less than half showed up for the evening and only 60-65% for the day.  Mount Murray not being in the centre of Douglas, the percentages could be even worse (and of course some may only drop in for an hour.

[cissolt]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:58 AM, Roger Mexico said:

Manx Radio has a typically innumerate story today:

More than 400 people have signed up to attend this year’s Isle of Man Government Conference.

The event is taking place on 17 and 18 September at The Comis Hotel.

Figures provided by the Department for Enterprise show 257 people have registered for the first day and 202 for the second.

It doesn't seem to have occurred to them that some people might have registered for both days (the headline for once is more accurate and just mentions 'registrations').

But it's still still some way from last years final registrations (508 for the evening, 597 for the full day).  And the other problem is no shows.  On the figures in the link, I reckon less than half showed up for the evening and only 60-65% for the day.  Mount Murray not being in the centre of Douglas, the percentages could be even worse (and of course some may only drop in for an hour.

Last year's figures were bumped up by shipping in school and college kids.

[Fred the shred]

Waste of money and time.    How did 100 people get residents and work permits without the Company they were engaged by being investigated ?    The horse has bolted god knows who is living on the Island there should be passport control at the port as well as the airport.   Most people have passports these days it is time to take control of our borders.

[Gladys]

10 minutes ago, Fred the shred said:

Waste of money and time.    How did 100 people get residents and work permits without the Company they were engaged by being investigated ?    The horse has bolted god knows who is living on the Island there should be passport control at the port as well as the airport.   Most people have passports these days it is time to take control of our borders.

Do you mean investigated or scrutinised? 

[Fred the shred]

Scrutinised yes that was what I should have said.

[Roger Mexico]

8 hours ago, cissolt said:

Last year's figures were bumped up by shipping in school and college kids.

Actually they weren't, because they bussed in the kids on the first day(" A separate Youth Conference was held for Island sixth form and college students throughout the day on Wednesday 20 September").   So they would have been counted separately.  I suppose they might have been so enthused by the thoughts of Chairman Alf that they came back in the evening for more.  (Yeah right).  It might have been truer in 2022, when there were some school groups mixed in.

The government aren't repeating the "Youth Conference" this year, presumably because the result was a lot of sixth-formers going home and telling their parents what a moron the Chief Minister was.  And a lot of the parents of primary school children being really annoyed at their kids missing swimming lessons.

But in any case that wasn't really my point, which was that the figures showed low rates of registration compared to last year (though there's a couple of weeks yet).  The news stories promoting it suggest they're panicking.  Combined with a high rate of no-shows it might things even more embarrassing this time.

(I was actually quite surprised that they gave the figures shown in my second link).

[thommo2010]

21 hours ago, Fred the shred said:

Waste of money and time.    How did 100 people get residents and work permits without the Company they were engaged by being investigated ?    The horse has bolted god knows who is living on the Island there should be passport control at the port as well as the airport.   Most people have passports these days it is time to take control of our borders.

But we are part of the common travel area so you can travel round the UK without a need for a passport, if people are coming from outside the UK then they would have to show their passport on entering the UK unless they are on one of those direct flights the airport do to the canary islands etc

[Luker]

16 hours ago, Roger Mexico said:

(I was actually quite surprised that they gave the figures shown in my second link).

A. Already moved to a smaller venue than the Villa

B. Less tickets sold

C. Looking for corporate sponsors (but looks like none apparently signed) 

Nobody gives a shit about anything any of them have to say. All that will be left as attendees are the usual ass lickers who have a few hours to waste. Almost everyone else has given up on this government and couldn’t care less what any of them have to say as this place is fucked. 

[Lxxx]

On 9/5/2024 at 7:15 PM, Roger Mexico said:

The 3FM piece is just because they've put out a new press release on the Conference, presumably to try to drum up some more business (especially from business).

If you look at the Agenda, Poole-Wilson's speech is described as:

PRESENTATION: Keeping our Island safe Minister for Justice and Home Affairs Jane Poole-Wilson MHK Minister Jane Poole-Wilson will outline the strategy adopted to keep our Island safe from organised criminals looking to exploit free movement at our ports.

So it looks more like justification for filling Jurby with Scouse drug mules, though it's possible they are thinking of introducing their ridiculous border force proposals again, because travelling isn't irritating enough already.

The following two talks may be more relevant:

PRESENTATION: Immigration service – improvements and protections Sandra Simpson, Head of Customs and Immigration Division Sandra Simpson will update on the Island’s immigration services, covering recent changes, challenges, and future strategies. She will highlight efforts to streamline processes, enhance customer services and strengthen protections and enforcement.

PRESENTATION & PANEL Q&A: What incentives and disincentives should shape inward migration to the Isle of Man? Dr Megan Mathias MBE, Chief Operating Officer Cabinet Office, will present the recently published Inward Migration Incentives & Disincentives, drawing out key proposals for discussion by the panel, and opening up to Q&A with attendees.

Now control of the Immigration Service was removed from Cabinet Office in January and put in with Customs and Excise (nominally in Treasury).  Clearly the UK - who devolves some control to the Island (and could easily take it back) weren't happy with the way things were being controlled.  So we probably see an interesting clash between Cabinet Office and DfE telling the assembled business folk they can bring in anyone thye want and pay them as little as possible.  And Treasury telling them they can't.

 

Looking forward to this one.

Especially in light of the very obvious demographic changes on the island and Mr Allinson's recent response to a Tynwald question that his department have no idea how many people have been in receipt of social security assistance who have lived here under five years. A claim which I find quite bizarre and one you would think which a relatively straightforward database search should provide.

[Omobono]

11 minutes ago, Lxxx said:

Looking forward to this one.

Especially in light of the very obvious demographic changes on the island and Mr Allinson's recent response to a Tynwald question that his department have no idea how many people have been in receipt of social security assistance who have lived here under five years. A claim which I find quite bizarre and one you would think which a relatively straightforward database search should provide.

figures held by government these days are a joke and can not be relied upon  we should be tightening up on who is here and insted of having a census every 10 years have on every 2 years  ,and legislate that everyone must be accounted  for together with information  vital to understanding the pressures on government services , security  and the economy 

[2112]

IOMG spin machine in action with Minister Lord Brennan saying this years Government Conference is hoping to target the ‘Business Community’. Where does the general taxpayer come into this or do they not count? 
 

From the NPM - 

This year's government conference will be 'more focussed' and hopes to target the business community, according to the Cabinet Office Minister.

Around 500 people have signed up for the annual event so far.

In 2023 around 750 people attended.

It's being held on the 17 and 18 September at the Comis Hotel - moving away from the Villa Marina which has been used in previous years.

Kate Lord-Brennan has defended the decision not to host the event in the evenings or over the weekend, saying there are other opportunities to speak to the Island's highest-ranking politicians:

[Albert Tatlock]

The business community don't trust them.

Plain and simples.

They, and I include myself in that community, see a perfect storm coming on a wide number of fronts.