The free champagne has been all quaffed, smoke from the illegal fireworks display has drifted into our carbon footprint, and right on cue the ‘Lavrov’ Cabinet press office hail another success story.

The new luxury extravaganza (diesel-powered) ship now lies in the harbour, and the Manx public are simply left gawping at the staggering Steam Packet Company-associated debt.

Enough debt to have financed a small country with state-of-the-art front line services.

This ship may now be aptly named The Clueless, representing an administration with delusionary ideologies manifested through a reckless misuse of overpowering authoritarian political control.

Recent history painfully demonstrates the Isle of Man administrative government has at best low limitations in the basic delivery of commercial ventures or ensuring financial competence in a commercial world.

The latest incompetence through political negligence is unforgivable.

We own an airport and can no longer successfully land passenger planes.

Government broke its trust to the public to run a horse tram the length of the Douglas promenade, and as a consequence, created another ugly government owned brown field site stretching across Douglas sea front.

Government promotes ‘active travel’ around Douglas, but failed to draft a contract that could ensure the building of a central Douglas bus station.

This Cabinet Office have now embarked to financially underwrite the Manx Development Corporation, a government-owned company, already creating millions of pounds of debt out of the public gaze by unnecessarily attempting to enter the commercial/residential property market.

We cannot afford to finance or create more taxpayer debt by the building of ‘luxury’ housing schemes as vanity projects proposed by the Manx Development Corporation, and its growing entourage.

It is simply financially reckless for government to indulge in the property market.

It is again reckless to simply state we are building wind turbines without any appropriate research of all other alternatives most suited to an island location, or affordable within the unknown long term financial implications.

A rushed rare appearance from the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Kate Lord-Brennen) to now suddenly announce a review of the Strategic Plan appears she had not previously realised you need upgraded planning policy for wind turbines.

MHKs need to take the summer recess as a time to reflect on their political futures.

As matters stand there cannot be one current minister who can expect to be re-elected at the next election.

Ministers appear lazily over comfortable operating an authoritarian culture, too often reciting pre-drafted misinformation to hide the real facts from the public.

As an island nation we only expect to be governed within the capabilities of an island economy, but we do expect accountability, integrity, and humility by our political representatives, who are now well paid for the privilege.

Members need to come back after the summer recess with a new interim Island Plan, with new found collective leadership determination, demonstrating the ability to immediately address the areas which are in crisis, starting with social care, recruitment of key workers, and a vision of a social structure consistent with island life, which will attract people to locate here, and is deliverable.

There needs to be meaningful assistance to help increase the percentage of homeownership to at least UK levels.

Bring forward a plan which provides infrastructure which is affordable, achievable, and of real value.

Engage again with the private sector in a meaningful fashion and start and rebuild confidence that the island has an investable future, not just for gaming, gambling, and a waning TT, which could all disappear overnight.

Mr Cannan, I am not repeating that you should go, because as a leader, your seat has been vacant for some time.

Henry Kennaugh

Hillberry Green

Douglas

This letter was first published in the Manx Independent of on July 27.

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