Mooir Vannin Wind Farm
I am genuinely undecided about Mooir Vannin. I support renewable energy in all its forms, and as a biologist and a Manx Wildife Trust trustee of seven years, it's a pretty strong conviction of mine. However, the reson for my indecision is straightforward. To my knowledge there are still no agreed Heads of Terms between Government and Ørsted, so there is as yet no contract on which anyone could sensibly judge what the Island stands to gain. Contractual terms should have been under discussion before the planning decision, not after it.
If the Council of Ministers were to approve Mooir Vannin later this year, that must be the overdue beginning of a strong negotiation from the Isle of Man Government. I would want it to deliver a genuine Manx dividend: a significant share of the energy at no wholesale cost to Island consumers (perhaps we should start any future negotiation with free electricity for the Island), the community benefit fund, the seabed rental, and fair taxation on the power exported to the UK. Any wind farm in Manx territorial waters should, first and foremost, benefit the Manx people.
Roads, lighting and the basics
On the doorstep you've been clear about getting the basics right. You want the roads mended, the potholes filled, the streetlights working, and the pavements safe to walk. These aren't small things, and letting them slide costs more to put right later. I'll push for stead, reliable upkeep of the roads and lighting we all depend on, and for spending that's judged by whether the basics are done well, not by how "flagship" the project is considered to be.
Transport and first impressions
Our airport is the first and last impression many visitors have of the Island. Other airports have moved to next-generation scanners that let passengers keep liquids and laptops in their bags. We haven't, as far as I can see, published a plan or a cost for when we will have to install these scanners. It is a multi-million pound bill that is coming whether we plan for it or not, and I would rather we know about it now than discover it in a future budget as an emergency.