Plus, Dr Allinson’s response.
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Maternity Pay, Nursery Fees and the Living Wage
Jean-jee red ennagh, do something.
Read Time : 2 Minutes
It’s Not Just Families Who Need Help
Today we are giving over Gef to you our readers.
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Jean-jee red ennagh!
Submitted by a reader.
Thanks to Culture Vannin for the translation.
Read Time : 6 Minutes
Point of Order – Will a Rule Change Work?
The proposal goes to Tynwald next week.
Read Time : 6 Minutes
Tory Leadership: The Runners and Riders
The new PM is due to be announced on September 5.
Read Time : 2 Minutes
We Should Offer to Host Eurovision
After our failed bid to claim the Champions League Final, Sam has an even worse idea.
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Director of Transport Services Retires
First appointed in 2009, Mr Longworth stepped down from the role in 2019.
Read Time : 3 Minutes
We Need to Talk About Whitby
The turnout for the non-binding vote was quite low.
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Drive-thru Democracy by MHKs has Serious Implications
These views will be branded scaremongering.
Read Time : 7 Minutes
How do we talk to our kids about war?
The pandemic is not even over and yet we find ourselves dealing with the implications of war in Europe. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and global tension is soaring. Imagine what the world looks like through the eyes of youngsters who can barely remember a time when the world was not […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
The Bowl Should Host the Champions League Final
With Russia invading performing peacekeeping duties in eastern Ukraine, it has sparked rumours that UEFA will move this year’s Champions League final. Due to be held in St Petersburg on May 28, the final is the grandest affair in European club football, with sponsors and officials given thousands of tickets, […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
A Love Letter to manx.net
SCENARIO: Imagine you’re on holiday, somewhere nice. Maybe you’re on a beach, cocktail in hand, maybe you’re by a pool. You get chatting to another tourist, who is laid out next to you. They point out your rapidly reddening skin and you tell them that they shouldn’t worry about you: […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
An Open Letter to Kirstie Alsopp
Chess Bradley writes to Location, Location, Location presenter Kirsty Allsopp to share her opinions about housing.
Read Time : 10 Minutes
Why the Island Plan Debate Fiasco Should Worry Us All
Paul Speller has a lot to say about the new gov’s moves to pass its Island Plan.
Read Time : 7 Minutes
The Regina George of British Politics
I start this off with a disclaimer: I believe there is no such thing as a good Tory (please also note: the views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Gef’s editorial stance- although they should). Yet, what I do enjoy, is a Tory […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Ending the Licence Fee Could Be The Best Thing For The BBC
Sam considers the future of the BBC.
Read Time : 2 Minutes
Long Covid Sufferers Want Answers
There are two separate questions relating to Long Covid on tomorrow’s Tynwald question paper.
Read Time : 4 Minutes
We Can’t Fall Behind in the EV Revolution
Ownership of electric cars has more than doubled in two years.
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Managing Covid Anxiety In The Age Of Omicron
As the cold weather sets in, memories of endless summer nights spent frolicking on Port Erin beach have given way to dark mornings, gale force winds and horizontal rain. Many of us will turn to social media and box sets to keep our minds off the bad news cycle – […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Gef’s Hop-Tu-Naa Movie Review
There is something moving in the dark this weekend, striking fear into the very souls of islanders, a movement of people only wanting more and more. No I don’t mean Manx Gas meter readers, though this group are equally terrifying, it’s trick or treaters. Fortunately this pesky group can be […]
Read Time : 2 Minutes
Hop-Tu-Naa Costumes For 2021
With just a few days until Hop-Tu-Naa, we’ve compiled a list of somewhat culturally relevant costumes that are bound to turn heads. Bernie Sanders Can you believe it was only this year that Bernie Sanders sat in the cold at Biden’s inauguration, wearing those mittens? This is an immensely practical […]
Read Time : 7 Minutes
Drag Race Roundup
Less than a year since Season 2, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is back: bringing scandal back to BBC 3 (and spoiler alert, anytime there is something vaguely vulgar, Ru is back to remind us that, yes, we are on the BBC). Obviously, Drag Race UK is fantastic: a show that […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
The Swearing In: Fashion Roundup
New York has the Met Gala, and we have… well, a limited number of big social events. The swearing in is perhaps the fashion event of the year- and I’m here to be the Manx Joan Rivers (RIP). There’s some interesting outfits, but unfortunately no one took a leaf out […]
Read Time : 5 Minutes
There Are No “Women’s Issues”
Article written by Women of Mann
Image: Marion Shimmin, the first lady to be elected to the House of Keys in 1933.
Image credit: iMuseum
Read Time : 8 Minutes
Election Time In 2016
Election time 2016: missing ballot boxes and national anthem grumbles
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Where The Voters At?
Turnout for many of the election meetings has been quite poor.
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Election Time In 2011
On one level, the 2011 general election took place following a period of relative political stability. Tony Brown’s five-year tenure at the helm of the Council of Ministers saw a much steadier ship than the bumper boats ride of the Corkill/Gelling years before. Okay, it may have taken only a […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
It’s Time for a Woman at the Helm
The island has only had once female minister since 2011.
Read Time : 7 Minutes
Election Time In 2001
Fears dentist trips would hurt the pocket and your MHK was on £24k – election time in 2001
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A Cheeky Bit Of Kikis
I love a cocktail. But do you know what I love more than a cocktail? 120 cocktails. This was the offering from Kiki’s. Their new dispenser is like their lockdown delivery service- except supersized. The service, which launches today, includes a very ‘grammable set up of between 1 and 5 […]
Read Time : 8 Minutes
Election Time In 1996
A new hospital will cost you your seat, but trying to sell off Manx Radio won’t – election time in 1996
Paul Speller continues his series of articles looking back at previous general elections, in the run up to polling day on September 23. Today, he takes a look at 1996, which marked the end of an era in the government and signalled what ultimately proved to be a false dawn in party politics.
Read Time : 8 Minutes
Election Time in 1991
Gay rights, drawing lots and children in prison – election time in 1991
With the September general election just a few weeks away, we asked Paul Speller if he’d like to share some of his memories of each of the general elections he has helped to cover, starting with 1991.
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How Deep Is Your Love For Statues?
Here’s a quick quiz for you. Which Manx news story of the last few weeks hasn’t made you want to run away screaming, with your hands over your ears? You win again, the correct answer is indeed the unveiling of the statues of The Bee Gees. The Brothers Gibb, cast […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Female Athletes Fight Back
Recent controversies leading up the Olympics have seen a variety of female athletes criticised for the way they dress or held back from dressing how they want to.
Read Time : 5 Minutes
CoMin Launches Bizarre Criticism of Watterson
There had been some debate behind the scenes over whether Tynwald would sit remotely this week.
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Pitching a Manx Reality Show
Chess Bradley has some ideas for a Manx reality TV series.
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Mystic Chess Horoscopes July 5
Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) If you delude yourself that you enjoy your own company this week, you can deal with being alone a lot better. Pisces (Feb 19- Mar 20) What good has choosing the high road ever done for anybody? Choose violence this week. Aries (Mar 21- […]
Read Time : 9 Minutes
Manxie In The City
So, we’re not fully out of the panny d, but restrictions are lifting and that includes travel- my biggest passion in life. Having spent the best part of the last two years on the island and in a (fairly remote) mountain town in the French Alps, leaving the island and […]
Read Time : 6 Minutes
Re-Development Can Save Greenfield Sites
The recent outrage over plans to remove elms from St Marks has led Jane Hall to consider why more emphasis isn’t put on re-developing existing buildings.
Read Time : 15 Minutes
The Importance of Pride – We’re Fashionably Late, But We’re Here!
Photo credit: Steve Babb
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Property Ladder or Property Plank?
Image by Tierra Mallorca from Unsplash.
Discontent among Manx residents regarding the current housing prices.
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A Love Letter to Being Basic
On the last series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, in a mini challenge, Tia Kofi was declared to be ‘baroness basic’: a title that overshadowed the rest of her performance on the show. By the way, if you don’t know what Ru Paul’s Drag Race is, this article isn’t […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
What Pride Means to Me
My brother is gay and it took him a long time to come out of the closet. Raised by three strong women, he always knew he had support. However, having been teased at school and not getting the support he needed from his dad, he was reclusive into his early […]
Read Time : 2 Minutes
Mystic Chess Horoscopes June 28
This week’s Horoscopes brought to you by Mystic Chess
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Mystic Chess Horoscopes June 21
This week’s Horoscopes brought to you by Mystic Chess
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The Power of Grounding
Ruth Nathan explores the power and benefits of grounding ourselves.
Read Time : 5 Minutes
When is a Sausage War Not a Sausage War?
With the latest row between the UK and EU bubbling away, Gef takes a look at sausage wars.
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Five Other Uses for the Roundel
With the roundel being a questionable roundabout, we’ve come up with a few alternative uses for the fresh new road markings.
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A Love Letter To Manx Businesses
Shopaholic? Where is better to spend cash than our Manx businesses?
Ad Feature by the Isle of Man Government
Read Time : 5 Minutes
The Island’s Very Own Master Fishmonger
Did you know that we have some of the best fishmongers in the world, right here, on-island?
Part of the Robinson’s Don’t Let The Legs Fall Off campaign
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Gef Chats to Alan Shea
Ahead of the island’s first Pride Festival, Gef sat down for a cuppa with Alan Shea to discuss the event itself, the 1991 Tynwald Day protest and young couples being free to express themselves.
Read Time : 7 Minutes
Growing Up Gay In The Isle of Man: Then And Now
In 2022, people question why we need Pride. In the UK and in the Isle of Man we have equal marriage, there are gay people on TV, and most people like to think themselves pretty tolerant. As an out and proud gay Manxie myself, I’ve seen a lot of progress: […]
Read Time : 23 Minutes
Let’s Talk About Sex Part Two
Following on from yesterday’s long read, our second part of the Let’s Talk About Sex series looks into the lack of sex education and V March’s first time.
Read Time : 23 Minutes
Let’s Talks About Sex Part One
In this week’s two-part long read, series, local woman ‘V March’ talks about sex and the lack of it and how mainstream media has a big part to play in how sex is portrayed.
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Keeping Those TT Vibes Alive
We now have the dubious accolade of having more than one TT in a row cancelled, for the first time outside of a World War.
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Small Businesses Are the Heartbeat of the High Street
I went for a walk through town this week and I realised something, there are far fewer empty spaces than I thought there were and most of those empty units have the same thing in common. You see, for any talk of empty units and a dying high street, look […]
Read Time : 6 Minutes
Travel Agents and Tour Operators Looking Closer to Home
As the drawbridge creaks just those extra few inches and the island prepares to (hopefully) open back up on June 28, Gef has spoken to three travel companies about consumer confidence in coming to and going off the island. We previously spoke to Rikki Dunnage from Island Travel, Ged Power, […]
Read Time : 3 Minutes
A Love Letter To Eurovision
In Susan Sontag’s Notes on Camp, Sontag defines the essence of camp as “its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration”. What, then, could be more camp than Eurovision? Eurovision is what a European Parliament meeting would look like if it was run by drag queens. Except, of course, […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Money for Closed Hotels but No Support for Hospitality Sector
As the gov unveils another round of salary support for businesses in the travel and tourism sector, hospitality business owners are still seeking gov support. The latest round of salary support covers the period April 25 to May 23 for businesses which can demonstrate a reduction in revenue of at […]
Read Time : 37 Minutes
Not Waving but Drowning
M.E. sufferers share their experience of being diagnosed and the support, or lack of, available.
Read Time : 20 Minutes
What’s Happening In Palestine And Why Should We Care?
Image credit: Al Jazeera
Laura Cretney is a Manx PhD student researching conflict in the Middle East. She has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Middle East Politics and Arabic and has lived in the region intermittently over the last eight years. She has worked in international development and also runs the Middle East blog and online shop Pink Jinn.
Read Time : 10 Minutes
Hello Mr Nice Guy
Much like masculinity, altruism is regarded as a costly trait; acquiring it and still thriving highlights one’s genetic quality.
Read Time : 6 Minutes
Tynwald Motion Brings Hope to M.E. Sufferers
In 2019, DHSC Minister David Ashford promised the establishment of an M.E. Service pilot scheme in 2019 with a full service established by April 2020 but nothing has yet materialised.
Read Time : 5 Minutes
Mums Need to Stick Together
A response to the article, Maternal Mental health on the Isle of Man written by Anna Jones and published by Gef on 27th March, 2021.
Read Time : 7 Minutes
My First Time
Recently, Gef ran a poll and asked readers if they voted in the last election, with 48% responding with ‘no’. Here, Emma Cox from Gef explains why she’s part of the 48% and why she plans on losing her ‘V’ this election year.
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Ghost Signs
Our columnist, Mark Owen is back and this week he’s been inspired by signs from the past.
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A Love Letter To Beauticians
This third lockdown has really revealed how ugly I can be. My post-lockdown 2 hairdressing appointment was scheduled for March (still, far too late), and cancelled because of lockdown three. I can’t get an appointment until the end of May (to my boss: this is my formal request for the […]
Read Time : 10 Minutes
I Can’t Smell Sh*t… literally
There are some benefits to losing your sense of taste and smell but not being able to tell if what you’re eating is out of date definitely isn’t one of them.
Read Time : 3 Minutes
Crab Diaries: A letter to Manx Seagulls
To seagull’s defence, they are notoriously protective mothers. But just because you love your kids, doesn’t mean that you can be violent.
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Why We Love Line of Duty
It’s June 2012, England has just been knocked out of the Euros by Italy, anticipation is growing for the world’s best athletes to compete at London 2012 and a counter-terrorist police raid results in the death of an innocent man when raiding the wrong flat, DS Steve Arnott refuses to […]
Read Time : 4 Minutes
Happy Earth Day 2021
“Humanity is spending Earth’s resources as if there were two Earths.” For Earth Day 2021, Green Party Committee member Sarah Mercer reflects why we need to act now to help our planet.
Read Time : 7 Minutes
Residents Voice Concerns Over Border Opening
Residents react to gov’s plans to lower the drawbridge.