Government minister Laurence Skelly says business in the island is the ’envy of many jurisdictions’.

He adds that our diversified economy is indicative of the real true Manx spirit and will hold the island in good stead.

And referring to the events of this year he said: ’If you look back at how we have dealt with this (the health crisis) people are looking at the Isle of Man as a special place to live and work. The Isle of Man is enjoying tremendous appeal and attraction.’

Mr Skelly, minister of the Department for Enterprise said: ’This year has been truly remarkable.’

During an interview with Business News from his office at St George’s Court, Douglas, just days before New Year’s Day, Mr Skelly pointed out:

lHow he is looking forward to seeing an influx of skilled people once the Covid crisis is finally over.

lThe ’painful’ decision to cancel the TT.

lHow the ’great Manx public’ had come together as a community during the last year.

lThere have been ’silver linings’ in the tourism sector which has continued to struggle since lockdown.

lHow the finance and digital sector continued to perform and support the economy during lockdown.

lThe entrepreneurial spirit is alive and kicking in the island.

lHe and his family enjoyed staycations including a two-night stay on the Calf of Man.

Ramsey Grammar School educated Mr Skelly will have been a Rushen MHK for 10 years in 2021.

Recalling last March when the crisis erupted he said the government ’made a few very early decisive decisions regarding borders, PPE and lockdown - those were the three things that jumped out for me. We were all about the protection and preservation of life right from day one.

’Lockdown gave us the contained and suppressed position of the virus that allowed us to bring back the economy in a fairly ordered fashion.’

silver linings

He acknowledged there were still issues surrounding tourism but this sector had some silver linings with regards to staycations and the air bridge with Guerney ’which have been successes and show that we can innovate.

’And it is fair to say that even through lockdown the main backbone of our economy, the finance and digital sectors, continued to perform and supported our economy.

’Coming out of lockdown, clearly even construction bounced back with some pent-up demand. Housing sales have moved at a positive rate and to a fair degree the domestic economy too.’

Asked if he was surprised it bounced back he said it was ’pleasing’ that ’we managed to get up on our feet pretty quickly and I think it says a lot about the Isle of Man really.

’There was the great Manx public which was very co-operative through the lockdown and that allowed us to come back as quick as we did and manage to maintain a reasonable normality in both our economic and social life, which is now as we see, the envy of many jurisdictions.’

Mr Skelly said the island had been ’very strict with our laws’ over such issues such as key workers and the border restrictions and claimed ’in many ways it has shown the Isle of Man in a positive light’.

There have been a number of incidents in which people have been imprisoned for breaking rules.

Mr Skelly said that ’sends a message that the Isle of Man is taking this situation very seriously. One of the basic principles was and remains the protection and preservation of life and we are very conscious as an island how vulnerable we could be if this (the virus) gets into the community’.

He added: ’As well as being involved in the protection and preservation of life there has been the protection and preservation of our economy and we very quickly formed what was called the Economic Recovery Group.’

This includes representatives of the enterprise department with colleagues from Treasury and the Cabinet Office, working in unison to stabilise the economy and stimulate the domestic economy which was suffering through the lack of tourists.

’We have agreed some 24 initiatives as a result and they include everything from the super Manx bank holiday to training programmes, internships and other projects.’

TT

Asked if the announcement of the TT cancellation was one of his most difficult tasks in political life, he said: ’It was a painful decision because of the disappointment.

’To do it once was not easy but to do it twice was painful.

’I do believe it was the right and responsible decision as painful a decision it was.’

He said he was hoping and aiming for the classic TT and the Grand Prix next year.

’And we will bounce back with the TT in 2022.’

Mr Skelly said he ’very firmly’ believes there is a future for the TT.

He said the ’strength of the brand is part of our history and heritage and part of our DNA here in the island’.

He added: ’It has been reassuring to hear from riders, teams, sponsors, and fans who are now planning on 2022 and being here.

’So I do have confidence in it returning.’

Looking ahead to 2021 Mr Skelly said the Economic Recovery Group is looking at a ’major body of work to look at our future conomic strategy for the island as we come out of Covid. That body of work will be very in-depth and looking at the entire breadth of our economy and it will be completed by summer time.’

Mr Skelly said the diverisfication of our economy is indicative of the ’real true innovative Manx spirit.

’And that has been proven many times when you look back to the 2008 financial crisis, the VAT bombshell and now the massive uncertainty that Covid created.

’It has often been said the Manx don’t like change but in fact quite often changes are happening in our economy all the time.

start-ups

’We have more than 60% more start-ups than the Channel Islands and that shows we have that enterprise and entrepreneurial spirit here in the island. I call it the Manx innovation spirit.’

’At the start of this the potential impact from a health and economic point of view was frightening but what was very inspiring is that everyone from people in the government sphere and in the public, they all worked as one.

’It comes down to the Three Legs of Mann - whichever way they throw us we will always stand and we were thrown a tough one to say the least.

’I think we fared well.

’It is hard to see what we could have done differently.’

Mr Skelly said they had ventured into ’uncharted territory’ and ’there was no rule book to pull down and we just made what we felt was the right decisions for the island right the way through.

’Did we get everything right? Probably not. Who did? I don’t know any nation that did. What I do know is that there is strong interest in the Isle of Man as a place to live and work. The Isle of Man’s stock appeal as a place to live and work has increased and that is through the positive PR and publicity that has been created through the actions the island has taken.’

Mr Skelly, 60 next year, was asked if he had made any plans regarding the general election next year.

He replied: ’Traa dy liooar - which is Manx for time enough.’