Twenty-three petitions for redress of grievances were handed in to the government by members of the public on Tynwald Day.

The traditional practice allows people to personally submit their petitions to Lieutenant Governor Sir John Lorimer, and if found to be in order they may then be considered by Tynwald if a member decides to take it on.

Tynwald’s standing orders were altered this year, meaning that petitioners no longer have to have a ‘personal grievance’ in order to present a petition about their issue.

Simon Mann, from Ballaugh, submitted two petitions, saying that the first is because Manx Care has ‘failed’ the island in healthcare provision in the north.

It highlights what he believes to be current underfunding in this past year, calls for extensions to various types of insurance, and tax and National Insurance credits for those who use private medical care and reduce demand on the health service.

Mr Mann also wants to see more funds raised for the health service by increased taxation of the ‘causative industries of gambling, alcohol and fast food’.

His second petition is calling for Jurby Medical Centre to be run separately from the facility in Ramsey, to reduce demand on the latter.

Local historian Charles Guard says that his petition hopes to prevent ‘a Tynwald vote being ignored by the ministers, or the Council of Ministers’.

He explained: ‘There is an act which most members don’t know about, the Treasury Act 1985 – whereby if Tynwald votes for a financial solution, and they think something’s happening, the minister can go back at a later date and ask to change it.

‘For example, they could say they don’t want to bring the horse trams back [to the Sea Terminal] and would rather spend the money on something else, they don’t have to go back to Tynwald or even tell Tynwald.

‘And I think such an act is subverting the will of Tynwald, if they vote for something it should happen, and if it’s not going to happen they should be told, not this cloak-and-dagger nonsense.’

He is calling for a Select Committee to look at the issue more closely, as do many peitions in order to have the best chance of success.

Sara Goodwins’ petition also highlights the horse trams, saying that the 2017 Tynwald vote to run them along the length of Douglas prom had not been honoured, and that this was unconstitutional.

She is calling for the tracks to be returned from Derby Castle to the Sea Terminal.

Former MHK Martyn Perkins wants to see a committee established to look into small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs).

He said: ‘We’ve gone down the route of looking at wind turbines and solar panels, and if the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine, what are we going to do? We’re going to buy our power from the UK.

‘And I believe we should look into [SMRs] in depth, and properly scope out the benefits or otherwise to the island.

‘Nuclear technology has come on in leaps and bounds, and if you look at the countries which are involved with it – Canada, the US, Brazil, Denmark, Germany, France, and obviously Russian and China.

‘I think we should have a committee that properly looks at the benefits it could give.’

Nine of the petitions were brought by Trevor Cowin of Peel, who has handed in many of them over the years.

The first ones relate to his grievance against Information Commissioner Iain McDonald, and the Tynwald Commissioner for Administration, for failing to investigate previous complaints of his.

Others pertain to past petitions which have been rejected.

Another is against the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture for its demolition of Glenfaba House, and another for planning department adminstration.

Also against DEFA is a petition for its ‘application of a ‘20-metre rule’ which he says means people could not appeal against the plans to cut down the St Mark’s elm arch. The last is about the procedure of the planning committee and their ‘refusal’ to grant interested person status to those opposed to planning applications.

One petition is being handed in on behalf of three people who say they have been injured by the government’s rollout of the Covid-19 vaccines.

Nikola Brindley, from Ramsey, claims to have a ‘confirmed Covid-19 vaccine injury’, which has resulted in her losing her job because of ill health.

Steve Wotton, Douglas, is ‘of the firm belief’ that his mother died from the vaccine, and has been ‘repeatedly denied’ an inquest for confirmation of this.

Natalie Birchall, from Rushen, runs a support group called the Isle of Man Covid Vaccine Injury Group.

The three want to see a committee appointed to report to Tynwald on establishing an ‘independent inquiry/review into the ‘ethics, necessity and safety of Covid-19 vaccines in the Isle of Man, helping those already injured and stopping further Covid-19 vaccines’.

Mark Cleator, from Marown, has handed in two petitions, the first of which argues that Manx law is not properly scrutinised by so few lawmakers in proportion to the island’s small population, when compared to the UK.

Mr Cleator would like to see the island either adopt all UK legislation fully, have it be reviewed by UK lawmakers, or have the appointment of an additional 1,393 Manx lawmakers.

His second petition argues for Manx citizens to be afforded the same protections against vexatious litigation as those in the UK, similar to a petition he handed in in 2019.

David Watts, from Castletown, wants to see a select committee be established to implement a framework which will allow the educational outcomes of Manx students to be better compared internationally.

Mr Watts thinks the island should engage with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

He argues that the Department of Education, Sport and Culture only publishes ‘limited performance data regarding pupil attainment levels’ and has ‘chosen not to embrace new performance metrics or benchmark against other jurisdictions’.

Dr Andrew Martin, an academic, submitted a petition which argues for a select committee to be formed to look into reducing the powers of the Chief Minister.

Specifically, he wants to see either the removal of the CM’s power to appoint and fire ministers, the establishment of a committee to recommend executive appointments, or the the removal of the CM role entirely.

Dr Martin said: ‘The executive on the Isle of Man is extremely powerful compared to what it should be.

‘This is due to when they moved from a Tynwald board system to having a council of ministers, the powers that moved with that position are just far too great, which is leading to the failures in government that we have on island at the moment.’

Richard Holmes submitted two petitions.

The first asks Tynwald to set up a select committee ‘to examine the operations of the Police Complaints Commissioner and how they interact with the Isle of Man Constabulary’s duties under the Police Act and other regulations.’

‘Do they lead to the police “marking their own homework” in investigating complaints,’ he asks.

The second petition asks for another select committee to look at ‘the possible lack of independence in legal reports and reviews that Tynwald ask to be conducted’.

‘How can we be certain that they are truly independent and how can we make certain that we can see that they are?,’ Mr Holmes says.

Nigel Sperring, from Peel, wants to seen the town’s dog control byelaws to be brought into line with others on the island.

He says the laws which prohibit dogs on Peel beach at all times of day from May to the end of September are too restrictive, compared to places like Douglas and Port Erin which only probit dogs from a certain time during this period.

Mr Sperring wants Tynwald to invite Peel commissioners to update the byelaws to permit the exercising and socialisation of dogs on the beach before 9am and after 6pm throughout the year.

Lastly, the petition of Graeme Jones, Onchan, wants to see better protections for whistleblowers in the island, which he says he identified during his employment with Tynwald.

Mr Jones asks for a select committee to be formed to ‘consider and report back to Tynwald on the true hidden scale and true purpose of corporate governance failures uncovered by former public sector employees’.