Manx Newscast

A twenty-year old from Sulby has made history by becoming the first female to achieve an important qualification in the fishing industry. Isla Gale has passed her oral exams to achieve her Certificate of Competency as Deck Officer Class 2. Formerly Trainee Fisherman of the Year 2022, Isla began her career scalloping in Manx waters. Isle of Man Maritime, which supported Isla's j...

Money already spent and work already done on dropped bills 'is valuable and can be picked up in the future'. That's according to the justice and home affairs minister who has been speaking to Manx Radio after it was revealed 15 bills have been removed from government's legislative programme over the past year. Jane Poole-Wilson says legislation can be dropped from the governmen...

It wasn't only about the Budget in this month's sitting of Tynwald. Phil Gawne and Christian Jones give us a recap of the highlights.

As the dust settles on this year's budget, do you think this year's announcements are going to make you better off? On Tuesday, Treasury Minister Alex Allinson announced the higher rate of income tax would be reduced by 1% to 21%, while personal allowances are increasing by £250 from April. But, there were concerns over healthcare spending, the future of the triple lock and the transparency of the...

A warning that this episode contains information which some listeners may find distressing. The families of two teenagers who were murdered over 20 years ago on the Isle of Man are renewing a call to keep their killer behind bars. Sixteen-year-old’s Samantha Barton and George Green were killed in 2002 by Peter Newbery who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years. After two decades behin...

Does Manx Care have enough funding for the year ahead?  Well the healthcare budget was one of the main talking points in yesterday's Budget debate.  The health body will get £357.5 million with a £14 million contingency pot also available.  Ramsey MHK, and former Health Minister, Lawrie Hooper told Tynwald that's simply not enough saying he believes a base figure of £370 millio...

A meeting has been organised for residents of Peel interested in standing as a commissioner in the Local Authority Elections in April.  Commissioner Hazel Hannan says it's important for democracy if there is an election in the town, so people have a choice of who they want to represent them.  She and fellow board member Voirrey Heaton will be holding the meeting on 27 February at the Pee...

The treasury minister Alex Allinson has brought his proposed budget for the 2025/26 financial year to Tynwald. You can listen to his speech in full here.

People from a range of backgrounds are required to work together to make the Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps a success. That's the message from the emergency service which is currently recruiting for 'enthusiastic and dedicated' volunteers. An open day is being held at the Civil Defence Headquarters in Tromode this Wednesday (19 February) from 8pm. Siobhán Fletcher has been finding out m...

Peel Commissioners says it's 'disappointing' that the former cabinet office minister didn't speak to them about the amount of land zoned for residential development in the Draft North and West Area Plan. Kate Lord-Brennan, MHK for Glenfaba and Peel, who oversaw the plan until she resigned at the end of last year, said the local authority had submitted this land to the consultation.  The...

The Children's Champion says the provision of services across the Island need to be 'good enough for one's own child'. Kerry Sharpe's second annual report, covering the period of April 2023-24, is to be debated in Tynwald this week. Within it, she makes seven recommendations; largely focussed on children with complex needs, young carers, and looked after children. Siobhán Fletcher has been taking...

Thousands of trees around the Island have been lost in recent severe storms. It’s at a time when the Island is facing the loss of up to 90% of its Elm and Ash stocks through disease. It’s a grim prospect and one which a local tree expert believes requires immediate action to prevent long-term environmental damage to the Island. Ben Brooker thinks a large-scale tree planting programme must be progr...

In a matter of days the Isle of Man Treasury was set to propose changes to the Manx State Pension, but this morning we're hearing there's been a change of plan. The so-called Manx Pension Guarantee would have seen those on the pension from 5 April 2019 onwards diverted away from the triple lock - starting this year. It proved to be one of the most contentious issues with members of the house of ke...

Should all the taxis on the Isle of Man be electric? That's the question government is asking, as it launches a new survey. The Climate Transformation Team wants to gather information about the feasibility of electrifying the Island's fleet. We hear from one driver who's sceptical about the move, and another whose already transitioned their whole fleet to EVs.

A 2000-year-old bronze spoon believed to have been used for ‘telling the future’ has been discovered on private land in Patrick, on the West Coast of the Isle of Man. The bronze spoon, dating to the Iron Age, was found by metal detectorist Rob Middleton on land owned by farmer, David Anderson.  Similar artefacts have been found in Britain, Ireland and France, but this is only the 28th example...

A number of green lanes will be closed during the TT period this year to combat damage being caused by off-road bikers. The Department of Infrastructure has applied for temporary closures of a small number of routes between 23 May to 6 June. The lanes selected are on the uplands and are generally dead-ends that lead to areas of open hillside in the vicinity of the TT Course. Infrastructure Ministe...

A new campaign spearheaded by Crimestoppers Isle of Man is hoping to put domestic abuse under the spotlight. The charity has joined forces with Victim Support and the police on a new campaign highlighting the various types and the signs to spot. The national campaign aims to reach people who have concerns about someone close to them who may be a victim. To find out mo...

Farmers on the Isle of Man are being encouraged to ask for help with loneliness and mental health issues that may arise while at work.  It's as the Manx National Farmers Union (MNFU) observes ' Yellow Wellies Mind Your Head ' campaign which focuses on tackling wellbeing issues in the agricultural sector. Starting today (Monday, 10 February) and taking place throughout this week, the 'Mind You...

The treasury minister says his department's plan for a Manx Pension Guarantee has triggered a 'national debate' but UK press attention has confused matters. The measure, if approved by Tynwald, would mean the state pension - for those who retired after 2019 - would rise annually from April 2025 by either the preceding September’s figure for Manx CPI inflation or 2 percent, whichever is higher...

An Onchan MHK says she has concerns about whether proposed changes to the Island's pension triple-lock comply with the Equality Act. Julie Edge is set to bring a motion to the House of Keys next week in a bid to separate the proposed changes from the rest of the budget process. On budget day, politicians vote for the entirety of the document, rather than individual elements. Ms Edge told Chri...

You may remember a couple of weeks ago we spoke to Brett, Patrick and Richard. They were about to set off on an adventure of a lifetime, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. It was all to raise money for Looky's Aid - a charity set up in memory of their son, brother and friend Lucas Martin. He was just 21 when he died suddenly of meningitis. They've now returned from Africa and have been telling Amy Griffi...

The farming community is one that generally goes quietly about its critically important role. But, there are many issues which are making their work more challenging. Simon Richardson caught up with MNFU General Secretary, Sarah Comish, to find out more.

Manx Deaf Society puts spotlight on condition that affects 1 in 7 of us

Plans to increase the Island's Minimum Wage in two phases this year have been revised. The original proposal, announced last month, would have seen the rate increase from £11.45 per hour to £12.25 from 1 April, and then up to £13.05 from 1 October.  Now, however that second planned uplift is to be put on hold. It means Tynwald will only be asked to approve the single increase up to £12.2...

Manx Care has denied attempting to ‘gag’ its staff from speaking out over cuts being made in the health service. It says no specific directive has been issued instructing them not to discuss the current reduction in services. Earlier this week Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher had planned to ask an urgent question in the House of Keys about planned cuts to services.  However this did not go ahe...