Where do you see the Isle of Man in 10 years

[woolley]

13 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

Was the Labour Party that implemented the 2008/9 cut not a "Torified" version of the Party as well though?

And the UK finances are in a much worse state now than they were then, it would be unwise to rule out any review of UK "philanthrophy" towards the Island if any UK taxpayer-respectful administration takes control. The Johnson era Conservative party is/was essentially corrupt (IMHO), Johnson wasn't made leader for his morals and Zahawi is proof enough of that.

Any new administration may not be so "accommodating" towards the Island.

It isn't a question of being accommodating. The relationship between the UK and the CDs is not in any way adversarial, although it is sometimes presented that way for appearances as was the case with Darling as chancellor. It is actually entirely co-operative and mutually self-interested. Things are sorted out behind closed doors.

You don't really believe that the VAT situation that existed pre-2008 was the canny Isle of Man hoodwinking the UK? If it was in the UK interest for the Island to be a part of the UK then that would have happened a very long time ago. What we do is to their benefit.

ETA: In saying this, I'm not advocating the bloat and the ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money. Far from it!

Edited February 18, 2023 by woolley

[P.K.]

5 minutes ago, woolley said:

It isn't a question of being accommodating. The relationship between the UK and the CDs is not in any way adversarial, although it is sometimes presented that way for appearances, as was the case with Darling as chancellor. It is actually entirely co-operative and mutually self-interested. Things are sorted out behind closed doors.

You don't really believe that the VAT situation that existed pre-2008 was the canny Isle of Man hoodwinking the UK? If it was in the UK interest for the Island to be a part of the UK then that would have happened a very long time ago. What we do is to their benefit.

I recall that when the UK woke up to the fact that the island was taking the VAT piss a member of Tynwald got up on their hind legs and went to MR to squeal to the GMP that the UK was "behaving like a Robber Baron!"

Timeless...

Thanks in part to the totally stupid and completely unnecessary brexit the UK finances are in a bit of a mess really. The cost of living rises are really hurting due in part to the refusal to tax the outrageous profits of the energy companies. Of course, the fact that over recent times they have donated £1m plus to the tory party has nothing to do with it....

Unfortunately the situation is that the G7 nations have now bounced back to a better financial position than they had just prior to the pandemic. The exception being the UK which is not only still languishing behind it's position prior to the pandemic but is also forecast to have zero growth in the coming year.

So they have limited room for manoeuvre which usually means cost-cutting. Which for a tory party usually means public services so they will let them cut themselves by not paying a living wage. Simples.

They will also no doubt cast about for other "savings" to be made...

[woolley]

11 minutes ago, P.K. said:

Yada yada.

UK inflation is somewhere towards the middle of the European economies.

But back on topic, most of the MHKs don't understand how the relationship works either.

[P.K.]

1 hour ago, woolley said:

UK inflation is somewhere towards the middle of the European economies.

But back on topic, most of the MHKs don't understand how the relationship works either.

Meanwhile back in Reality Land if UK finances catch a cold then the IOM sneezes - (ancient Greek proverb)

Brexit hit UK growth by £29bn, says Bank of England rate setter

Investment in the country since the referendum has ‘stopped in its tracks’

Jonathan Haskel, an external member of the Bank of England’s nine-strong monetary policy committee that sets UK interest rates, said private sector investment “stopped in its tracks” in the years following the decision to quit the EU.

He said that in the aftermath of the vote the UK immediately began to fall behind the trend of the previous six years and “suffered much more” when compared with other major industrialised economies, opening up a productivity gap that has left permanent scars.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/13/brexit-hit-uk-growth-by-29bn-says-bank-of-england-rate-setter

Unfortunately, as ever, the island's fortunes will probably be decided elsewhere...

[Derek Flint]

On 2/16/2023 at 3:25 AM, Anyone said:

Interesting , a copper says corruption is fine as long as it gets you where you want to be. Slippery slope maybe? I know Malta very well. Unashamedly corrupt is a bit over the top for you based on one visit. Malta may not be perfect but unashamedly corrupt is not quite right. It’s not , perhaps you should target your efforts to corrupt police forces. I know one bad apple , but it seems to a pretty big barrel. No doubt you’ll dissemble and paint you lot as paragons of virtue and our saviours. I think I read 400 coppers in Scotland alone had quit to avoid being brought to account. But like you say just the odd bad apple. 
Also Malta is a sovereign nation and a full EU member. The IOM does not , and never will have , that advantage. So you are wrong. IOM can’t be Malta. Anyway I thought you’d buggered of to darkest England , perhaps you should stay there😂

Thanks for the feedback. A few points of order;

I'm not a copper, I’m an academic.

I have been to Malta more than once.

my strategic appraisal of Malta, based on research, observation and comparison is that there is a significant level of almost overt, hence ‘unashamed’ corruption.

For a small nation, what it acheives, especially within the scope of EU membership, is nothing short of remarkable, and makes the Isle of Man appear that it isn’t even trying.

The current issues within British policing pertain more to matters of behaviour, rather than corruption as we might more widely understand the term.

Currently, I am indeed domiciled in the UK. My visits back ‘home, are currently limited to increasing visitor numbers and spend, visiting relatives and maintaining my remaining interests.

[Mysteron]

3 hours ago, Derek Flint said:

 

My strategic appraisal of Malta, based on research, observation and comparison is that there is a significant level of almost overt, hence ‘unashamed’ corruption.

For a small nation, what it acheives, especially within the scope of EU membership, is nothing short of remarkable, and makes the Isle of Man appear that it isn’t even trying.

Corruption is a cornerstone of Malta's economy, to such an extent that its economy is now virtually dependent on it.  Why would any other jurisdiction want to compete on that basis?    

[finlo]

1 minute ago, Mysteron said:

Corruption is a cornerstone of Malta's economy, to such an extent that its economy is now virtually dependent on it.  Why would any other jurisdiction want to compete on that basis?    

We could give them a run for the money that's for sure!

[genericUserName]

2 minutes ago, finlo said:

We could give them a run for the money that's for sure!

There is no comparison. Malta is on a different scale completely.

 

3 hours ago, Derek Flint said:

my strategic appraisal

lol

[Ringy Rose]

22 minutes ago, finlo said:

We could give them a run for the money that's for sure!

When journalists here start getting carbombed, I'll agree. Until then? Nah.

[finlo]

16 minutes ago, Ringy Rose said:

When journalists here start getting carbombed, I'll agree. Until then? Nah.

Except we don't have any proper journalists!

[Non-Believer]

1 hour ago, finlo said:

We could give them a run for the money that's for sure!

I don't think we have huge amounts of corruption.

But we make up for it doubly in incompetence, inertia and indifference. The electorate kick it all off with the latter two. It is a malaise that infests the Island, sadly.

[finlo]

7 minutes ago, Non-Believer said:

I don't think we have huge amounts of corruption.

But we make up for it doubly in incompetence, inertia and indifference. The electorate kick it all off with the latter two. It is a malaise that infests the Island, sadly.

I wasn't talking about embezzlement type corruption more the moral type, jobs for mates etc as you've alluded to yourself on occasion.

[Non-Believer]

Just now, finlo said:

I wasn't talking about embezzlement type corruption more the moral type, jobs for mates etc as you've alluded to yourself on occasion.

Oh yes, it's heaving with that. One of the traits of a small, insular society without much management oversight due to a, "Someone else is paying so let's not rock the boat and we'll all be comfortable" culture.

[woolley]

8 hours ago, P.K. said:

Meanwhile back in Reality Land if UK finances catch a cold then the IOM sneezes - (ancient Greek proverb)

Brexit hit UK growth by £29bn, says Bank of England rate setter

Investment in the country since the referendum has ‘stopped in its tracks’

Jonathan Haskel, an external member of the Bank of England’s nine-strong monetary policy committee that sets UK interest rates, said private sector investment “stopped in its tracks” in the years following the decision to quit the EU.

He said that in the aftermath of the vote the UK immediately began to fall behind the trend of the previous six years and “suffered much more” when compared with other major industrialised economies, opening up a productivity gap that has left permanent scars.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/13/brexit-hit-uk-growth-by-29bn-says-bank-of-england-rate-setter

Unfortunately, as ever, the island's fortunes will probably be decided elsewhere...

Just more Grauniad sniping as we expect. I saw this article the other day and thought of you, actually. It's simply rubbish. Did you read it? The crux of this supposition (for that's all it is anyway) is that by 2026 trade would be 3.2% less than the TRAJECTORY in 2019.

A little disingenuous, wouldn't you think, to take the trajectory in 2019, thus ignoring Covid and its lockdowns, supply constraints, massive inflation in world commodity prices and a dangerous war in Europe? Not only is he making this enormous leap across all of these issues to the present day, he also has the nerve to extend the flawed prediction for a further 3 years. Lies, damned lies and statistics.

I reckon a lot of things all around the world would be lacking if we took the trajectory from 2019 to 2026 and compared it with the reality.

 

[P.K.]

2 minutes ago, woolley said:

Just more Grauniad sniping as we expect. I saw this article the other day and thought of you, actually. It's simply rubbish. Did you read it? The crux of this supposition (for that's all it is anyway) is that by 2026 trade would be 3.2% less than the TRAJECTORY in 2019.

A little disingenuous, wouldn't you think, to take the trajectory in 2019, thus ignoring Covid and its lockdowns, supply constraints, massive inflation in world commodity prices and a dangerous war in Europe? Not only is he making this enormous leap across all of these issues to the present day, he also has the nerve to extend the flawed prediction for a further 3 years. Lies, damned lies and statistics.

I reckon a lot of things all around the world would be lacking if we took the trajectory from 2019 to 2026 and compared it with the reality.

The bit about covid and brexit that even you can't ignore is that the G6 have gone beyond their pre-covid position and the brexited G1 is headed in the other direction....

It's a colossal fuck-up, everyone knows it but it would seem that something like 51.9% of the population absolutely refuse to admit it ably assisted by the appalling UK right wing press, which is to say pretty much all of it, and mandacious unscrupulous politicians who sold the lies in the first place.

Muggins...