♪ MUSIC ♪ >>GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES FROM OUR HOME STUDIOS.

I'M DAVID DUMKE.

>>AND I'M KATIE CORONADO.

WELCOME.

>>TODAY.

WE ARE JOINED BY CHIEF MINISTER HOWARD QUAYLE OF THE ISLE OF MAN.

WE WILL DISCUSS THE ISLE OF MAN'S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES OF THE ISLE, AS WELL AS ADJUSTING TO THE COVID SITUATION.

CHIEF MINISTER, WELCOME.

>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH, INDEED.

GREAT TO BE ON THE SHOW.

>>SO THE ISLE OF MAN IS A SMALL COUNTRY IN THE IRISH SEA.

WE'D LIKE YOU TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE, AND YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE UNITED KINGDOM.

>>WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE IRISH SEA, SLAP BANG BETWEEN IRELAND, NORTHERN IRELAND, SCOTLAND, WALES, AND ENGLAND.

THE QUEEN IS LORD OF MANN, WE'RE A SELF-GOVERNING CROWN DEPENDENCY, SO WE PASS ALL OUR OWN LEGISLATION.

BUT IT GOES OFF TO THE PRIVY COUNCIL FOR ROYAL APPROVAL.

SO WE PAY A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE UK FOR OUR DEFENSE AND COAST GUARD.

BUT IN REALITY, WE GOVERN OURSELVES WITH OUR OWN LAWS.

WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE 979 AD.

SO WE ARE THE OLDEST CONTINUOUS PARLIAMENT IN THE WORLD.

>>CHIEF MINISTER, WITH THIS LONGSTANDING... WHAT DID YOU CALL IT, A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UK, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MOSTLY ADVANTAGES?

OR WOULD YOU SAY THAT THERE ARE ALSO SOME CHALLENGES?

>>WELL, IT WORKS WELL, THE UK... OBVIOUSLY WE'RE TOO SMALL TO HAVE EMBASSIES SCATTERED AROUND THE WORLD, SO THE LOGIC IS THAT YOU WORK WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM.

AND WE DO PAY A CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS THE COST OF THAT SO THAT OUR CITIZENS, WHEN THEY'RE TRAVELING OR HAVE WORK ISSUES, THAT WE ARE REPRESENTED BY THE CROWN.

SO GOING BACK TO 979, WE'VE BEEN RULED BY THE DANES, THE SCOTTISH, THE ENGLISH, THE IRISH, AND NOW WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT NATION.

BUT OBVIOUSLY THE SIZE OF OUR JURISDICTION MEANS THAT IT'S LOGICAL THAT WE HAVE HER MAJESTY AS OUR... SHE'S LORD OF MANN, THAT'S HER TITLE.

AND APPOINTS A GOVERNOR.

OBVIOUSLY IN THE LAST 50 YEARS, THE POWERS OF THE GOVERNOR HAVE NOW BECOME MORE SORT OF EVENTS, RATHER THAN HAVING ANY REAL POWER ON THE ISLAND, IT'S SORT OF TRANSFERRED OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS, WHERE THE GOVERNOR USED TO CHAIR GOVERNMENTS EFFECTIVELY.

NOW, HE WILL ATTEND EVENTS.

HE HAS CERTAIN POWERS, THAT HE SIGNS OFF ON IMMIGRATION, ET CETERA.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S AN HONOR AND...

BUT HE'S APPOINTED BY HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN.

SO WE HAVE OUR OWN MANX POUNDS, SO WE'RE ALLIED TO STERLING, BUT WE HAVE OUR MANX POUND.

AND IT WORKS WELL FOR US.

THE UNITED KINGDOM ARE COMING OUT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.

WE WERE NEVER A MEMBER OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, BUT WE HAD A THING CALLED PROTOCOL 3, THAT ALLOWED US TO HAVE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE, GOODS AND MANUFACTURED ITEMS, AS WELL AS FISH, AND OUR PRAWNS AND QUEENIES, ET CETERA.

SO IT'S AN INTERESTING TIME AT THE MOMENT, FOR THE ISLAND, BUT WE HAVE OUR THREE LEGS MOTTO, "WHICHEVER WAY YOU THROW ME, I WILL STAND, " AND THAT'S WHAT WE WILL BE DOING.

>>SO THE NEXT QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU, CHIEF MINISTER, WAS ABOUT SOME OF YOUR CHALLENGES AND PRIORITIES.

AND I GUESS, BASED ON THE LAST RESPONSE YOU JUST SAID, WE COULD START WITH BREXIT, THE CHALLENGE OF THAT, AND WHERE YOU GO FROM THERE.

>>YEAH, WELL, MY ADMINISTRATION STARTED IN 2016.

AND WE HAD THREE CLEAR OBJECTIVES.

THAT WAS TO BE AN INCLUSIVE AND CARING SOCIETY, AN ISLAND OF ENTERPRISE AND OPPORTUNITY, AND A FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.

SO OBVIOUSLY BREXIT IS SOMETHING WE DIDN'T ASK FOR.

WE DIDN'T HAVE A SAY IN IT, BECAUSE WE WERE NEVER IN THE EUROPEAN UNION.

WE JUST HAVE TO POSITION THE ISLAND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN, I SUPPOSE, DODGE ICEBERGS AND SEIZE ANY INITIATIVES OR OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ISLAND.

WITH COVID-19, WE'VE HAD TO FAST TRACK OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY TO ENSURE THAT WE'VE GOT 99% CONNECTIVITY ON FIBER TO THE HOUSE WITHIN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.

AND THAT WILL ENABLE MORE PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOME.

WE'VE ALSO GOT TO MAKE SURE THE ECONOMY IS BALANCED.

WE AREN'T ALLOWED, THROUGH OUR CONSTITUTION, TO BORROW MONEY, TO FINANCE, TO BALANCE THE BOOKS EFFECTIVELY.

SO THE ISLAND HAS NO DEBT.

WE HAVE RESERVES OF 1.8 BILLION.

AND GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE WERE OPERATING WITH A MODEST SURPLUS, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY BEEN...

I'M NOT SAYING BLOWN AWAY, BUT WE'VE GOT SERIOUS PROBLEMS, WHICH THE REST OF THE WORLD HAVE IN GETTING THE ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK, WHICH I'M SURE IN AMERICA, YOU'LL HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME.

THE COST OF COVID HASN'T BEEN CHEAP.

WE'VE ALL BEEN FUNDING SUPPORT FOR WAGES, FURLOUGHING PEOPLE, AND FOR BUSINESSES.

WE'RE VERY LUCKY THAT WE'VE BEEN 126 DAYS WITHOUT COVID ON THE ISLAND, AND AS A RESULT, ALL OUR BUSINESSES AND SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, ET CETERA, ARE ALL FULLY OPERATIONAL.

>>CHIEF MINISTER, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WE ALSO UNDERSTAND, AND YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE OLDEST CONTINUOUS PARLIAMENTARY BODY IN THE WORLD.

AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

>>WELL, I SUPPOSE IT'S SPLIT INTO THREE SECTIONS.

WE HAVE THE HOUSE OF KEYS, WHICH IS, WE'RE ELECTED EVERY FIVE YEARS BY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

THERE ARE 24 MEMBERS REPRESENTING 12 AREAS OF THE ISLE OF MAN.

THEN WE HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WHICH IS THE UPPER HOUSE, AND THEY TEND TO SCRUTINIZE LEGISLATION THAT THE HOUSE OF KEYS HAVE BROUGHT FORWARD, TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT IT RIGHT, THAT THE WORDING IS CORRECT, AND COULD WE DO IT ANY BETTER.

AND THEN WE MEET UP ONCE A MONTH IN WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE TYNWALD, THE GATHERING FROM... WE'VE TAKEN FROM THE NORWEGIAN WORD.

AND KEYS AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEET, AND WE THEN MOVE VARIOUS MOTIONS.

WE WILL SIGN OFF LEGISLATION, WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN ROYAL APPROVAL BY HER MAJESTY.

AND OBVIOUSLY I HAVE TO ANSWER LOTS OF QUESTIONS TO THE BACKBENCHES.

>>SO TO THAT END, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MANX POLITICS AND SAY, POLITICS IN THE UK OR THE US?

>>WELL, FOR THE START, MOST OF US ARE INDEPENDENT.

THERE'S NO REAL POLITICAL PARTY SYSTEM ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

SO I LIKE TO THINK, YOU MAYBE COULDN'T DO THAT IN A BIG JURISDICTION, BUT ON A SMALL ISLAND, EVERYONE IS ELECTED TO DO THEIR BEST FOR THEIR ISLAND, RATHER THAN MAYBE NECESSARILY HAVING LOYALTY TO A PARTY POLITICAL SYSTEM.

SO WE'RE ALL INDEPENDENTS, DOING OUR BEST FOR OUR ISLAND.

IT WORKS FOR US, AS I SAY, WE'VE BEEN GOING FOR WELL OVER A THOUSAND YEARS, AND THE ECONOMY IS NOT DOING TOO BADLY.

SO WE'VE GOT SOMETHING RIGHT, I SUPPOSE.

>>CHIEF MINISTER, WE UNDERSTAND THE ISLE OF MAN IS VERY SERIOUS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT, AND THE ISLAND'S INVOLVEMENT?

>>WELL, SINCE 2016, WE'VE BEEN AWARDED, AND WE WERE THE FIRST JURISDICTION IN THE WORLD TO HAVE THE ENTIRE JURISDICTION GRADED AS A UNESCO BIOSPHERE STATUS.

WE WERE GIVEN THAT, AS I SAY, AT THE END OF 2016.

THAT MEANS THE WHOLE OF THE ISLE OF MAN IS CLASSIFIED AS A UNESCO BIOSPHERE.

AND THAT'S NOT JUST OUR LAND, BUT OUR TERRITORIAL WATERS.

SO WE'VE GOT EELGRASS OFF THE NORTH OF THE ISLAND, AND THAT EEL GRASS, I THINK IS FOUR OR FIVE TIMES BETTER AT CAPTURING CARBON THAN SOME OF THE BRAZILIAN RAINFORESTS ON AN ACRE PER ACRE BASIS, AS AN EXAMPLE.

WE HAVE GOT THE BIGGEST WORKING WATER WHEEL IN THE WORLD.

WE'VE GOT STUNNING, BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE, AND LOTS OF BASKING SHARKS.

OUR WATERS ARE VERY PURE.

AND WE'RE ONE OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE BRITISH ISLES FOR SKIES AT NIGHT, WE'VE GOT VERY LITTLE LIGHT POLLUTION.

SO WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY.

WE DO LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND.

OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM, THE SECOND LINE IS, "O GEM OF GOD'S EARTH."

AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND, ESPECIALLY WITH COVID, WE'RE REALIZING JUST HOW LUCKY WE ARE TO LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND.

AND WE'VE GOT ONE OF THE BEST MEDIEVAL-PRESERVED CASTLES IN EUROPE, IF NOT THE WORLD.

SO PLENTY FOR PEOPLE TO SEE AND DO.

AND WITH OUR PEOPLE WORKING, YOU CAN COME HOME, WITHIN A FEW MINUTES YOU CAN BE OUT ON A PLANTATION ON YOUR MOUNTAIN BIKE.

CYCLING IS A BIG PART OF THE ISLE OF MAN.

MARK CAVENDISH, WHO SOME OF YOU MIGHT KNOW AS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TOUR DE FRANCE RIDERS IN HISTORY, THE SPRINTER IS A MANX RESIDENCE AND BORN ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

SO OUR LEISURE, AND OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT.

SO WE'VE COMMITTED TO CARBON NEUTRALITY BY 2050.

IF WE CAN DO IT ANY QUICKER, WE CERTAINLY WILL BE.

>>SO LET ME ASK, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE ISLE OF MAN USED TO BE KNOWN FOR WAS TOURISM.

ALTHOUGH, AS I UNDERSTAND, THAT THAT, AS A SECTOR, TOURISM IS RELATIVELY SMALL COMPARED TO OTHER SECTORS.

IS THERE A PLAN TO INCREASE TOURISM OR WILL THAT THREATEN THE ENVIRONMENT, THE ISSUES YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT?

>>NO, I THINK WE'RE REVAMPING TOURISM.

THE ISLAND HAD HISTORICALLY, WE'D HAVE OVER A BILLION VISITORS A YEAR IN THE RUN UP TO WORLD WAR II, AND THE BUCKET-AND-SPADE HOLIDAY THAT WE USED TO PROMOTE, WAS EFFECTIVELY TAKEN OVER BY CHEAP FLIGHTS TO SPAIN, WHERE YOU'RE GUARANTEED A WARMER CLIMATE, SHALL WE SAY?

THAT SAID, WE DO HAVE THE STUNNING COUNTRYSIDE, AND THE CLEAN AIR, AND ONE OF THE LOWEST CRIME RATES IN EUROPE, IF NOT THE WORLD.

AND THEREFORE WE'RE REBRANDING AS QUALITY TOURISM, WHERE YOU COME FOR FISHING, CYCLING, SPORTS, WALKING, TAKING IN OUR ANCIENT HISTORY, AND THAT'S THE SORT OF MARKET THAT WE ARE WORKING ON AND EXPANDING.

SO YOU'RE RIGHT.

IT'S PROBABLY ONLY ABOUT 2, 3% OF OUR GDP.

HOWEVER, IT'S STILL IMPORTANT, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND ON THIS.

AND OBVIOUSLY A WARM WELCOME WHEN OUR BORDERS ARE LIFTED WITH ALL OUR FRIENDS FROM AMERICA.

>>THAT'S EXCELLENT.

AND I WANTED TO TRANSITION INTO WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING WITH YOUR ECONOMY.

IS THERE ANYTHING MAJOR THAT YOU CAN DISCUSS RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC AND HOW YOU'RE HANDLING THAT?

>>WELL, OBVIOUSLY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE PROBABLY HAD ONE OF THE LOWEST UNEMPLOYMENT RATES IN THE WORLD, AT 0.8%.

OBVIOUSLY, IT ROSE TO ABOUT 2.5%, WITH HAVING TO SHUT DOWN PRETTY QUICKLY.

BUT WE'VE GOT THAT NOW DOWN TO ABOUT 1.5% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE ON THE ISLAND.

AND WE'VE PUT MONEY ASIDE, IF WE HAVE ANY LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED, TO RETRAIN THEM.

OBVIOUSLY GREEN TECHNOLOGY IS AN AREA WHERE WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.

ALL OF OUR BUSINESSES ARE OPEN NOW.

AND AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK HAS BEEN DONE WITH TEAMS OR SKYPE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE USING ALL THAT IN AMERICA, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHERE WE'RE USING THOSE SYSTEMS ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD TO SPEND A HUNDRED MILLION TO KEEP PEOPLE IN WORK AND SUPPORT BUSINESSES WHILST WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN OUR ECONOMY.

EVERYTHING IS OPEN NOW, AND OUR ECONOMY IS BOUNCING BACK.

BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'VE LOST A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, AS AS INDEED ANY OTHER, ALL OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN THE WORLD.

AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS OF GETTING BACK ON TOP OF THINGS.

I THINK IT'LL BE ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE WHERE WE'RE FULLY BACK TO PRE THE COVID SITUATION, BUT WE ARE ONE OF THOSE LUCKY JURISDICTIONS, AS I SAY.

WE'VE BEEN OVER FOUR MONTHS NOW, WITHOUT ANY CASES.

AND AS A RESULT, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN WALK ABOUT.

OUR CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL.

AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF OUR VULNERABLE PEOPLE HAVING TO ISOLATE.

BUT WE DO RUN VERY STRICT QUARANTINE ON THE ISLAND.

SO WE ALLOW KEY WORKERS OR OUR PEOPLE TO GO AWAY, THEY HAVE TO QUARANTINE WHEN THEY COME BACK.

AND WE DO TEST THEM FOR THE COVID-19.

>>SO A SMALL COUNTRY, LIKE THE ISLE OF MAN, WAS IT A CONCERN IN YOUR EMERGENCY PLANNING TO MAKE SURE YOU HAD THE MEDICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE, IN CASE THERE WAS A WIDESPREAD OUTBREAK?

>>ABSOLUTELY.

WE PUT AN AWFUL LOT OF WORK, BEFORE WE EVEN HAD OUR FIRST CASE, INTO CONVERTING OUR HOSPITAL, BUILDING EXTRA BEDS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE CAPACITY.

WELL, AT ONE STAGE, THE ISLE OF MAN WAS IN THE TOP 10 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD FOR TESTING AND THE TRACING.

AND THAT REALLY HELPED US.

WE SHUT DOWN OUR BORDERS EARLY, AND WE HAD PEOPLE QUARANTINING WHEN THEY WERE COMING BACK FROM THE UK, PUTTING THEM IN QUARANTINE FOR 14 DAYS BEFORE WE HAD OUR FIRST CASE.

SO WHILST WE HAVE A LOW AMOUNT OF DEATHS, ONLY 26, AND THAT WAS 26 TOO MANY.

WE ONLY LOST FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY.

SADLY, WE HAD AN OUTBREAK IN A NURSING HOME, WHERE WE LOST 22 IN TOTAL.

BUT ACTUALLY, IN THE COMMUNITY, OUR CASUALTY RATE WAS LOW, THANK GOODNESS.

BUT WE HAD PROBLEMS WITH OXYGEN.

WE WEREN'T PRODUCING OUR OWN OXYGEN ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

WE WERE IMPORTING IT BY TANKER FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM.

AND WE SET UP OUR OWN PLANTS ON THE ISLAND.

SO WE'RE NOW SELF-SUFFICIENT IN OXYGEN.

OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE WAS GOING ON ABOUT RESPIRATORS, ET CETERA.

BUT REALLY OXYGEN WAS THE MAIN THING THAT HELPED YOU FIGHT THE COVID-19.

AND OBVIOUSLY, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAD THE LIKES OF SWABS FOR TESTING, ET CETERA, AND ALL THE RIGHT MEDICINES.

WE HAD AN INTERESTING TIME, BUT AT NO TIME DID ANY OF OUR MEDICAL OR HEALTH WORKERS LOSE THEIR LIFE AS A RESULT OF US NOT HAVING THE CORRECT PPE FOR THEM, WHICH I THINK MY TEAM SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF, FOR BEING IN THAT SITUATION.

>>ALONG THOSE LINES, DID THE UK HELP IN THAT ASPECT, TO GET YOU TO THAT POINT OF BEING SO PREPARED, DO YOU THINK?

>>WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE BUY MEDICINES FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, WITH A CENTRAL SORT OF PURCHASING AREA.

BUT I THINK THE UNITED KINGDOM HAD ITS OWN SERIOUS SITUATION.

AND WE THOUGHT IT WASN'T FAIR ON US TO BURDEN THEM ANYMORE.

SO WE WENT OUT AND PURCHASED PPE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE SUPPLIES FOR OUR OWN PEOPLE.

AND WE HAVE A RECIPROCAL HEALTH AGREEMENT WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM.

SO IF ANYONE FROM THE UK COMES TO THE ISLE OF MAN, THEN WE WILL LOOK AFTER THEM FOR FREE.

BUT WE DID LOOK AFTER OURSELVES ON THIS ONE.

AND THERE WAS A WORLD CRISIS GOING ON, AND AS A SMALL JURISDICTION, WE MADE THE DECISION THAT WE WOULD SORT IT OUT FOR OURSELVES.

>>EXCELLENT.

>>SO YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR INTERNET CAPABILITIES YOU HAD INVESTED IN SINCE THE START OF THE COVID CRISIS.

MY QUESTION IS ABOUT GOING FORWARD.

HOW HAS THE COVID ERA CHANGED THE ISLE OF MAN'S PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT, IF AT ALL?

>>WELL, WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING GREATER TECHNOLOGY TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOME.

AND WE ARE SEEING A GOOD INTEREST IN PEOPLE WANTING TO RELOCATE TO THE ISLE OF MAN, BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE ARE REALIZING THAT WORKING IN A CITY CENTER ISN'T NECESSARILY WHAT IS ALL CRACKED UP TO BE, IN A SMALL, BEAUTIFUL ISLAND, WHERE WE HAVE THE SPACE TO EXPAND.

IF WE CAN ENABLE MORE PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOME, THEN THEY WON'T BE DRIVING ON OUR ROADS TO GET INTO WORK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, ET CETERA.

I MEAN, I GET CROSS IF I HAVE AN EXTRA 15 MINUTES TO GET INTO WORK.

IT TAKES ME NORMALLY QUARTER AN HOUR, AND IF I'M STOPPED FOR HALF AN HOUR, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING UNHEARD OF.

SO THAT'S THE SORT OF LIFESTYLE THAT WE HAVE HERE.

AND I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE THINKING, "WELL, IF I CAN LIVE IN ONE OF THE LOWEST CRIME RATES IN THE WORLD, WITH A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE, AND WORK FROM HOME, THEN THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DO."

AND IF WE CAN ATTRACT MORE ACTIVE ENTREPRENEURS, BUSINESSES TO GROW OUR ECONOMY, THEN THAT'S THE WAY FORWARD.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE...

IT WAS GOING TO BE DONE OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD, BUT BECAUSE OF COVID, WE'VE NOW SHAVED ONE YEAR OFF THAT TIME.

AND I EXPECT THAT TO BE FINISHED BY 2024.

99% OF CONNECTIVITY, FIBER TO THE CABINET, AS THE TECHNICAL PHRASE.

AND IT'S ALL ABOUT INCREASING YOUR MEGABITS-PER-SECOND DOWNLOAD SPEED.

YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A GOOD SERVICE.

IF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO WORK FROM HOME, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY.

WE WERE THE FIRST JURISDICTION IN THE WORLD IN THE '70S TO HAVE 3G.

AND WE LOST OUR WAY A LITTLE BIT, AND I'M KEEN THAT WE GET BACK, AND WE WANT TO BE IN THE TOP 10 COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD FOR CONNECTIVITY BY '24.

>>CHIEF MINISTER, YOU'VE DEFINITELY DONE A WONDERFUL JOB AT EXPLAINING TO US THE ADVANTAGES OF POSSIBLY LIVING THERE AND WORKING THERE.

AND IN REALITY, IF I WANTED TO OPEN A BUSINESS THERE IN THE FUTURE, AND MOVE THERE, BECAUSE IT IS A VERY TEMPTING SCENARIO FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME, CAN I DO THIS AS AN AMERICAN?

>>WELL, WE FOLLOW THE SAME IMMIGRATION RULES AS THE UNITED KINGDOM.

SO IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO COME THROUGH THE UK, THEN YOU CAN COME AND LIVE ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT FOR ENTERPRISE THAT HELPS BUSINESSES RELOCATE TO THE ISLAND.

OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A WORK PERMIT SYSTEM, SO NOT ANYONE CAN COME TO THE ISLE OF MAN.

IF YOU'RE HOPING TO PROVIDE A SERVICE THAT WE DON'T HAVE... FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU WERE COMING FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION OR THE UK, YOU WOULDN'T BE ENTITLED TO ANY BENEFITS FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS, AND NO HOUSING ALLOWANCE FOR THE FIRST 10 YEARS.

AS A SMALL ISLAND, WE WOULD BE FLOODED IF WE ALLOWED MASS IMMIGRATION TO THE ISLAND AND, FROM A BENEFITS POINT OF VIEW, AND OUR PEOPLE GOING INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION ARE TREATED THE SAME WAY.

THEY'RE NOT ENTITLED TO ANY BENEFITS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.

SO YES, WE WILL DO OUR UTMOST TO HELP PEOPLE RELOCATE.

WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD LIVING ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

THE ISLE OF MAN ISN'T A BRASS PLAQUE JURISDICTION.

WE INSIST ON CAPACITY, JOBS AND HAVING AN INTEREST IN THE ISLE OF MAN, AND TAKING PART, AND EMPLOYING PEOPLE, AND WELL-PAID JOBS, OBVIOUSLY, IS SOMETHING WE'RE LOOKING FOR, FOR OUR PEOPLE.

>>THANK YOU.

>>SO, A QUESTION ON YOUR LONG-TERM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CHIEF MINISTER.

THE ISLE HAS BEEN KNOWN AS A TAX HAVEN, AND ONLINE GAMING HAS BEEN VERY IMPORTANT TO YOUR ECONOMY.

WHAT STEPS HAS YOUR GOVERNMENT TAKEN, OR HAVE BEEN TAKEN GENERALLY TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY?

>>YEAH.

WELL, I'M GLAD YOU'VE RAISED THAT, DAVID.

OBVIOUSLY, TO PUT IT INTO CONTEXT, WE'RE MORE OF A BUSINESS ISLAND.

WE'VE BEEN TARRED WITH THIS TAX HAVEN FOR NUMEROUS YEARS NOW, BUT TO PUT IT INTO REALITY, THE ISLE OF MAN HAS 25,000 REGISTERED COMPANIES ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

I THINK DELAWARE HAS 1.5 MILLION.

SO WE'RE NOT EXACTLY MR. BIG IN THE FINANCIAL WORLD, WE'VE DIVERSIFIED OUR ECONOMY.

WE'RE ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF COUNTRIES THAT THE OECD RECOGNIZED FROM...

THIS IS FROM TAX TRANSPARENCY, THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH BOTH THEIR ASSESSMENTS TO BE FULLY COMPLIANT.

SO WE'VE SHOWN THAT THE ISLAND IS UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST THINKING ON TAX TRANSPARENCY.

IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE VERY KEEN ON, BECAUSE IT'S THE QUALITY BUSINESS.

THAT'S HOW WE'VE POSITIONED THE ISLAND.

>>WE'VE ALSO DIVERSIFIED, SO WE HAVE A BIG MANUFACTURING SECTOR ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE MARS ROVER THAT WAS TAKEN...

THE LITTLE BUGGY GOING AROUND MARS TAKING THE PHOTOGRAPHS.

THE LENS WAS MADE ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PARTS WERE MADE FROM THE ISLE OF MAN.

LET'S SEE, THE HADRON COLLIDER, SPECIALIST AVIATION PARTS MADE, SO EJECTOR SEATS FOR CERTAIN COUNTRIES, AIR FORCES, NOT TOO FAR FROM YOURSELF, MADE ON THE ISLE OF MAN.

SO, THAT'S THE NICHE AREA WE'VE GONE.

AND THEN FINTECH, BIOMEDICINE, E-BUSINESS SECTOR... WE'VE TRIED TO EXPAND THE ECONOMY, SO WE'RE NOT RELIANT TOO MUCH ON FINANCIAL SERVICES.

SO IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT FINANCIAL SERVICES, BUT WE'RE ABOUT 40% OF OUR ECONOMY IS THE FINANCE SECTOR.

WE HAVE MANAGED TO DIVERSIFY, AND I'M DELIGHTED TO SAY, WE EXPORT ABOUT 300 TONS OF OUR BEST MATURE CHEDDAR INTO AMERICA, WHICH IS SOLD IN SOME OF YOUR TOP STORES.

SO, FOR A SMALL ISLAND, WE TRY AND PUNCH WELL ABOVE OUR WEIGHT.

WE'RE ALL ABOUT JOBS FOR OUR PEOPLE.

AND OBVIOUSLY WE'RE LOOKING FOR WELL-PAID JOBS FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

SO WE'LL BE MOVING INTO MORE GREEN TECH.

I THINK WE'VE AGREED TO BE CARBON NEUTRAL BY 2050.

AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRAIN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE LATEST GREEN TECHNOLOGY TO ENABLE US TO RETROFIT OUR HOUSES AND COME UP WITH BUSINESSES.

THE ISLE OF MAN, IT TENDS TO BE KNOWN AS LIKE A TRIAL ISLE.

WE'RE SMALL AND WE CAN TRIAL VARIOUS SYSTEMS OUT.

AND IF THAT HELPS THE REST OF THE WORLD, THEN THAT'S FANTASTIC.

AND, I THINK, IT GAINS EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE, EVEN BETTER STILL.

>>CHIEF MINISTER, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF MINUTES LEFT, AND WE WANTED TO ASK YOU ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO LEAVE OUR AUDIENCE WITH, HERE AT GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES, ABOUT THE ISLE OF MAN, ABOUT YOUR GOVERNMENT, AND ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEM REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR ISLAND.

>>WELL, I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT OUR HISTORIC LINKS WITH THE ISLE OF MAN.

MYLES STANDISH WAS THE MILITARY OFFICER IN CHARGE OF ALL THE TROOPS ON THE MAYFLOWER.

AND HIM AND HIS WIFE CAME, OBVIOUSLY WERE MANX.

SO OF THE SIXTY-ODD PEOPLE THAT SURVIVED THE JOURNEY, ET CETERA, TWO OF THEM WERE FROM THE ISLE OF MAN.

AND WHEN HIS WIFE DIED, HE BROUGHT OVER HER SISTER TO MARRY.

WE'VE GOT OUR MANX NORTH AMERICAN ASSOCIATION, WITH ABOUT 850 PEOPLE WHO ARE MEMBERS.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NAMES, CANNON, QUAYLE, KELLY, YOU ALL CAME FROM THE ISLE OF MAN, SO THERE WILL BE A FEW MILLION PEOPLE IN AMERICA WHO WILL BE ABLE TO TRACE THEIR ANCESTRY RIGHT BACK TO THE ISLAND.

BUT COME AND SEE US.

COME AND VISIT YOUR HOMELAND AND YOU'LL GET A WARM WELCOME.

>>THANK YOU, CHIEF MINISTER.

I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PUNCHING ABOVE YOUR WEIGHT, AND WE'RE AWARE THAT ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS FUNDED IS THE SMALL COUNTRIES FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.

HOW HAS THAT BEEN IMPORTANT TO THE ISLE OF MAN?

>>WELL, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

WE TAKE OUR INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY, AND THEREFORE WE'RE A SMALL JURISDICTION, A SMALL ISLAND, AND WE'VE HAD TO LEARN TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEMS OF ECONOMIES OF SCALE, AND DEALING WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, AND BEING FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE.

AND THEREFORE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP OTHER JURISDICTIONS, WHO ARE IN A SIMILAR POSITION TO OURSELVES, WE FELT THAT HAD TO BE A GOOD WAY OF HELPING OUT AND SHARING OUR EXPERIENCE.

SO WE PUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY ASIDE, EVERY YEAR, AND WE FLY OVER PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, REPRESENTING SMALL JURISDICTIONS, TO HELP THEM, TO DO TRAINING SESSIONS ON HOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE, THE LEGISLATIVE AREAS, FINANCIAL AREAS.

ALL THIS IS DESIGNED TO DO OUR BIT TO HELP FELLOW JURISDICTIONS THAT MAYBE AREN'T IN THE POSITION WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOMENT, BUT WE'LL DO OUR UTMOST TO HELP THEM GET INTO AS GOOD A POSITION AS POSSIBLE.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE VERY PROUD OF, BECAUSE IT IS HAVING GOOD RESULTS.

WE GET GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE SCHEME, AND IT'S SOMETHING I'M PERSONALLY COMMITTED TO.

>>CHIEF MINISTER, WE WANT TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.

IT'S BEEN A REAL PLEASURE.

>>THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT'S BEEN LOVELY, AND A WARM WELCOME, AS I SAY, FROM ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE ISLE OF MAN, TO THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE OF AMERICA.

THANK YOU.

GOD BLESS.

>>AND TO OUR VIEWERS AT HOME, THANK YOU.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON ANOTHER EPISODE OF GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES.