Perspective
Phil Gawne takes an in-depth look at a variety of aspects of life on the Isle of Man and further afield. Sometimes political, occasionally controversial, but always an appointment to listen.
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Episodes
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Perspective 16.8.26 is the Small Countries Financial Management Centre worth saving?
Sunday, 16 August 2026
For sixteen years the Small Countries Financial Management Centre has been running a program to help smaller poorer countries around the world to build capacity and resilience. This work has provided substantial benefit to 400 senior public officials from around forty small developing nations and the Centre’s work has been applauded by the world’s major financial institutions. A few weeks ago the Centre was informed that the Cabinet Office was cutting funding from £300,000 to £150,000. So what does that mean for the future of the Centre and why was the decision taken to cut the funding? A f...
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Perspective 2.8.26 - the Chief Minister looks back at the five years of his administration
Sunday, 9 August 2026
As the dying embers of the Cannan administration gently cool the Chief Minister joins us to look back at the past five years. We regularly hear the phrase “this is the worst government we’ve ever had” trotted out in the run up to possibly the last four elections, but is that true? You won’t be too surprised to learn that Alf Cannan doesn’t think so. Indeed Mr Cannan is bucking a trend in being the first Chief Minister in more than twenty years to stand in the election that follows his term in charge. He talks to Perspective about the challenges presented over the past five years and his fru...
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Perspective 2.8.26 - the second of our Perspectives on July’s bumper Tynwald sitting
Sunday, 2 August 2026
July Tynwald narrowly avoided running into a fourth day so we couldn’t squeeze it all in to one roundup program. This week we cover, the wind farm, climate change progress and the Chief Constable’s report. There’s also the mysterious case of when is Council of Ministers’ collective responsibility not Council of Ministers’ collective responsibility. We hear about a good bit of politicking which will help those in most need of government support. Election fever had finally hit Tynwald in its last sitting with several much anticipated reports being discussed. It’s now over to you to decide if ...
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Perspective 26.7.26 - first of two Perspectives on July’s bumper Tynwald sitting
Sunday, 26 July 2026
There’s too much Tynwald to squeeze in to just one program this month so we’re going to have two. This week we’ve got whistle blowing, an investigation into the Department for Enterprise, energy regulation, climate change progress and a move to reduce the number of presiding officers. Next week we’ll have wind farms, poverty, the chief constable’s report and more, but Perspective this week promises to be a lively show. We definitely got value for money from July Tynwald and with six seats being vacated in the Keys the next sitting will certainly be different.
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Perspective 19.7.26 - reflections from President Skelly and in an unrelated piece what should we do about Katie Hopkins
Sunday, 19 July 2026
A game of two very distinct halves on Perspective this week with some reflection on his time in office from outgoing Tynwald President Laurence Skelly and one man’s crusade aganist the sellout appearance of Katie Hopkins at the Gaiety. What makes a good President and is it frustrating at times? And is the government selling out on its stated principles by allowing outspoken comic Katie Hopkins to appear in a government run facility. Some hot sunny calm followed by more than a hint of a storm (possibly in a teacup) on this week’s show.
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Perspective 12.7.26 - fifty years of broadcasting and what needs to change in the future?
Sunday, 12 July 2026
On Perspective this week we take a nostalgic look at one presenter’s half a century of broadcasting. He also discusses how things need to change to prepare for the next fifty years. How has government and Tynwald influenced the media since the birth of Manx Radio and what role should they play in influencing the future. With most people relying on social media to access their news is there any future for conventional broadcast and print media? Is that the smell of revolutionary change in the air?
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Perspective 5.7.26 - should government provide stronger leadership on tackling climate change?
Sunday, 5 July 2026
Everyone wants cheaper energy bills I imagine, and I suppose most of us would be happier knowing our energy supplies were directly controlled by governments we rely on. If this week’s guests are right renewable energy offers cheaper more secure electricity supplies, so why has government been generally silent in trying to sell the more sustainable and potentially cheaper green agenda which the Manx public appears to be losing confidence in. The evidence for significant changes in global temperatures is strong, so why aren’t more of us convinced of the need for radical change? Surely cheaper...
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Perspective 28.6.26 - another look at a very busy June Tynwald
Sunday, 28 June 2026
Budget reform, the £20m health overspend, hospital beds, dyslexia and reform of government’s land ownership were all discussed in this month’s Tynwald. Is there any way of getting health spending back in line with budgets? Is government rushing its hurdles over changes to how in manages its property? All these questions and many more will be answered on this week’s Perspective. We also hear about a meeting to assess public opinion in the run up to the general election. Who ever said that politics is boring. Tune in and be enthralled!
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Perspective 21.6.26 - from assisted dying to horse trams June Tynwald was quite busy
Sunday, 21 June 2026
Assisted dying moved a bit closer in June Tynwald. Despite neither Tynwald nor the public knowing why Royal Assent wasn’t granted amendments were moved which according to the Attorney General were all that’s needed to get the greenlight from the UK. Council of Ministers received two bloody noses from members on budget reform and dyslexia, and there was yet another horse tram debate. A pre-election bumper Tynwald special on Perspective this week. For those of you hoping for unbridled support for the Douglas Bay Tramway, the good news is they agreed to discuss it again next month. When will i...
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Perspective 14.6.26 - is Douglas City Council leading the way in solving our housing crisis?
Sunday, 14 June 2026
Douglas City Council appears to have a plan to solve housing issues in the city. The Council recently opened its flagship housing development the James Brown Apartments. The complex is made up of 48 two-bedroomed units, built to the latest environmental standards and fitted with air source heat pumps. So what is Douglas doing that allows it to deliver quality housing projects on time and on budget and are there lessons to learn for the Island’s other housing authorities? Douglas’s experience seem yet again to highlight the clunky, risk averse, delaying nature of government processes. Anyone...
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Perspective 7.6.26 - the health of Manx Care, the Minister gives her diagnosis.
Sunday, 7 June 2026
Manx Care’s mission is to become the best small Island health and social care system in the world. An ambitious aspiration but few people would argue against it I imagine. That said, despite a substantial uplift in funding, Manx Care seems some distance away from its aspiration, and incapable of sticking to the budget set for it. So what’s going wrong and how do we cure Manx Care’s ailments. The Minister gives her diagnosis on Perspective. Can we really have the world’s best health service without draining precious resources from the rest of Isle of Man Government? It’s a big ask.
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Perspective 31.5.26 - Cohabiting Couples, Drugs Law and How to Sabotage Government
Sunday, 31 May 2026
Quite a mix on Perspective this week with some cracking speeches from May Tynwald on a move to change the tax status for cohabiting couples, and a request to speed up changes to drugs law. We also have Christian Jones’ parting gift to Manx Radio, a revealing insight into a 1940s guide on how to sabotage government. It seems that what was viewed in the 1940s as sabotage is now deemed to be best practice by most European governments. Perhaps the most important mission of the next House of Keys will be to unpick the resplendent fabric of Government’s “emperor’s new clothes”.
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Perspective 24.5.26 - Health, Brownfield Sites and Cannabis were just some of the May Tynwald highlights
Sunday, 24 May 2026
Bearing in mind the fast approaching September General Election, May Tynwald was a relatively convivial affair. Health, Brownfield Sites and Cannabis were just some of the highlights which we’ll squeeze in to Perspective this week, but Ramsey Cottage Hospital, renewable energy, and government’s efficiency program were also raised. Perspective is bursting at the seams this week. We also ponder why government struggles to collect parking fines. At the moment it appears there’s a fair chance you’ll get fined for illegal parking, but there’s a much more relaxed approach to collecting fines. Tr...
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Perspective 17.5.26 - more reaction to Mooir Vannin, Clause 5 finally bites the dust and a new pensions Bill
Sunday, 17 May 2026
Why are Garff residents so angry about the Ørsted Mooir Vannin wind farm and is it Ørsted or the government they’ve got in their sites. As the controversial Clause 5 is finally dropped from the Local Government Bill why did it cause such consternation across the local authorities? Also passing through LegCo at the moment is the Retirement Benefits Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2026 which updates our 26 year old legislation so as to enhance consumer protection and enable more effective regulation of the pensions industry. Quite a bit to squeeze in to this week’s Perspective. Were the Island’s loc...
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Perspective 10.5.26 - National security & the climate & nature crisis I
Sunday, 10 May 2026
Inaction on climate and nature could reduce GDP by around 5% over the next decade, and the weather we’re experiencing now is the most stable it will be in our lifetimes. These were the stark messages delivered to an invited audience of the Island’s politicians and senior civil servants earlier this week. They heard a call for urgent action to address the climate and nature crisis, and were urged to shift away from short-term thinking in policy and decision making. We’ve heard the blunt warnings but will anything actually change? … Apart from our climate of course?
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Perspective 3.5.26 - Orsted respond to the Mooir Vannin wind farm critics
Sunday, 3 May 2026
Ørsted is proposing to develop the Isle of Man’s first offshore windfarm and as we heard on Perspective three weeks ago not everyone is happy about the proposal. Is the approximate 2 billion pound benefit to the Island worth the environmental and aesthetic cost of the project. Orsted gives it’s view on this week’s Perspective. If permission is granted the wind farm will be much more visible than other windfarms off our east coast but is this intrusion a price worth paying for more stable energy prices and a cleaner environment? The answer my friend is blowing in the wind. The answer is blow...
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Perspective 26.4.26 - April Tynwald highlights
Sunday, 26 April 2026
Perspective 26.4.26 - April Tynwald highlights In a relatively relaxed Tynwald sitting members appeared to be a little less argumentative than in recent sittings. Perhaps the calm before the election run in storm. Items discussed included a move to unify government’s land and property portfolio, the state of the economy and the National Insurance Fund, and the UK government’s decision not to recommend the Assisted Dying Bill for Royal Assent. We also hear about Sunday’s census and why it matters. Are we facing a constitutional crisis on the Assisted Dying Bill or is it just a constitutional...
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Perspective 19.4.26 - what does the Department of Education’s Manx Language Service do? You might be surprised.
Sunday, 19 April 2026
Since 1992 the Department of Education has been teaching Manx to the Island’s children. For just over a third of a century now most children have been learning a bit of Manx at primary school, and some have been learning a lot more at secondary school. As part of Blein ny Gaelgey - Year of the Manx Language - Perspective continues its series of talks with the movers and shakers of the Manx language with head of the Department of Education’s Manx Language Service, Cathy Clucas. Cathy Clucas has been at the heart of the Manx language revival for three decades - she must have been very young w...
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Perspective 12.4.26 - is the campaign against Mooir Vannin tilting at windmills?
Sunday, 12 April 2026
The No Offshore Turbines 4 Isle of Man pressure group is fighting to stop the Mooir Vannin windfarm being developed. The group expresses concerns about the impact of 87 turbines, 80 storeys high being built from 6 miles off the east coast of the Isle of Man. They feel that the developer Orsted and the Isle of Man Government are not being open about the proposal. We hear from NOT4IOM and Garff Commissioners on this week’s Perspective. In a bizarre twist MHKs have been told that they can’t talk to the public about the development for fear of prejudicing a future government decision on the pro...
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Perspective 5.4.26 - Canon Philip Gillespie shares his journey through faith for Easter Sunday
Sunday, 5 April 2026
With Easter Day upon us it seems appropriate to hear from one of the Island’s Christian leaders. Canon Philip Gillespie has recently returned to the Island after a number of years teaching in Rome. At a time when the world seems as far away from love, peace and kindness as it’s ever been perhaps it’s time to hear from gentle, humble leaders, who really do care about our lives and fulfilment. There’s little doubt that the world would be a better place if we all lived gentler and humbler lives but it seems most of us struggle to do that. We could all do with a bit more love and peace in our l...
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Perspective 29.3.26 - Secondary school students debate for International Women’s Day - Part 2
Friday, 27 March 2026
A few weeks ago we heard two of the debates from the special International Women’s Day junior Tynwald sitting, at which students from the Island’s secondary schools and UCM raised several issues that concern them. There were three other debates on Legal Protections and Accountability Measures to Address Gender‐Based Violence, Mental Health and Neurological Conditions and Education in Gender Discrimination which we’ll hear in full on this week’s Perspective. Powerful comment from voices which sadly all too often go unheard.
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Perspective 15.3.26 - highlights from March Tynwald
Sunday, 22 March 2026
In Tynwald this week there appeared to be some relative calm after the choppy political waters of recent sittings. The impact of the Iran War, an urgent question on bed spaces at Nobles and the ongoing work at the White Hoe were covered in question time. There was also a heated debate about the future of the post office an interesting discussion on scrutiny of government’s response to Tynwald decisions and the Horse Trams trotted a little closer to the finishing line. That’s all squeezed in to this week’s Perspective. No neigh sayers on this week’s show.
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Perspective 15.3.26 - Secondary school students debate important issues for International Women’s Day
Sunday, 15 March 2026
Last week in a special International Women’s Day junior Tynwald sitting, students from the Island’s secondary schools and UCM raised several issues that are important to them and really should be important to us all. The students voices were very powerful and the evidence presented was quite shocking. We’ll hear two of the debates, on Gaps in Women’s Healthcare and Period Poverty, on Perspective this week, and the other three debates on a future show. It takes a lot to move and inspire me in political discourse these days and these debates succeeded on both counts.
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Perspective 1.3.26 - exploring the richness of linguistic diversity in the Isle of Man
Sunday, 1 March 2026
Last week Culture Vannin teamed up with Mooinjer Veggey to celebrate International Mother Languages Day. As part of the Year of the Manx Language they invited second language communities to come together to explore the richness of linguistic diversity in the Isle of Man. Find more about the Island’s amazing cultural communities on this week’s Perspective Are we doing enough to share Manx culture with others? Can our passion for our own languages and heritage bring us all together? Perhaps we could build the Tower of Babel on the old Lord Street site?
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Perspective 22.2.26 - a give away pre-election budget to kick start economic activity or a reckless raid on reserves?
Sunday, 22 February 2026
What did the Treasury Minister actually deliver in last Tuesday’s Tynwald sitting? Was it a give away pre-election budget through prudent use of reserves to help kick start the economy or a reckless raid on government’s hard earned savings. I suspect the answer lies somewhere between the two but what did Tynwald members make of it? What is clear is the vast majority of earners will be better off in the next tax year but is the continued use of reserves sustainable? Hopefully the extra money the government is keen to stuff in our back pockets won’t come at a cost after the election.
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Perspective 15.2.26 - former Treasury Minister Eddie Teare talks us through his budget process.
Sunday, 15 February 2026
Government finances have read a little like recent weather forecasts, with a gloomy outlook, risk of budget overtopping particularly in health, and economic storms battering our sparse reserves. One former Treasury Minister who wasn’t afraid to grapple with the economic challenges of the day was Eddie Teare. He talks to Perspective about how he went about preparing a budget and considers what next week’s Budget might deliver. As if economic circumstances were’nt bad enough the aftermath of last month’s sackings has caused some disaffection in Tynwald ranks. Will next week’s Budget include b...
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Perspective 8.2.26 - Blue-tongue, cattle health status and the meatplant - who’d be a farmer these days?
Sunday, 8 February 2026
Manx farmers are being challenged at the moment with several significant issues hitting all at once. As if the debilitating cattle disease Blue-tongue, a change in UK and IoM cattle health status, and ongoing problems with the meatplant weren’t bad enough a very wet winter and uncertainly over animal waste charging are adding to farmers woes. Can the Isle of Man Government’s stated aim of achieving food security for us be delivered in such trying circumstances. There’s no doubt times are hard for Manx farmers who are all hoping things will mooooove in a better direction soon.
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Perspective 1.2.26 - why has the Local Government Bill caused such a stir?
Sunday, 1 February 2026
Former Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood had the fairly straightforward task of bringing forward a Local Government Bill which was generally supported by local authorities. Along came Lawrie Hooper with an amendment which caused angst and anger among local authorities and was subsequently used as a one of the reasons for the Minister’s sacking. Find out what the Bill actually does and why the amendment caused so much consternation on Perspective . With so much they agree how did the Minister and local government become so divided?
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Perspective 25.1.25 - January’s reshuffle Tynwald
Sunday, 25 January 2026
What Tynwald lacked in length this week it more than made up for in big announcements and policy changes. The Order Paper soon had the hefty addition of a statement on the Chief Minister’s reshuffle with two Ministers either ‘stepping down’ or being sacked depending on who you listened to. While Alf Cannan’s statement and a cooling in enthusiasm on the living wage grabbed the headlines, homelessness, the Island’s cattle health status and a call for a forensic audit of health were also covered. Is that the popular sound of a screeching u-turn I hear?
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Perspective 12.1.25 - Blein ny Gaelgey 2026 the year of the Manx Language
Sunday, 18 January 2026
Blein ny Gaelgey is a year-long, Island-wide celebration of the Manx language. The Year’s website claims that it’s for everybody – Manx speakers, people who don’t know any Manx yet, people who call the Isle of Man home, and visitors to these shores and it will be fun and accessible, and provide ways to engage for everyone! On Perspective this week we hear from two of those hoping we’ll all be dusting down our Moghrey Mies and Fastyr Mies and making Blein ny Gaelgey a great occasion for our Manx Language. If you’re a little cynical about the language then this week’s show might well soften e...