Our Bill for Alf Force One

Over £27,000 was spent on off-island trips between September and the end of 2022.

Back in September we reported that Alf Force One would be taking to the skies, travelling to the Labour and Tory conferences, Alf Force Once will be heading to Belgium, Bahrain and South Africa.

The gov releases these figures after trips, largely to save people the hassle of FoI’ing them.

A trip to the Labour conference for Chief Alf, Chris Thomas and a civil servant was £3,409.91, whereas a trip to the Tory conference in Birmingham for the Chief, Dr Allinson and a civil servant was £5,299.54.

From there, Alf Force One headed to Bahrain, with the Chief joined by one civil servant, at a cost of £6,771.71, a trip to Brussels, accompanied by two civil servants, cost the taxpayer £2,571.92 and a trip to South Africa for the Chief and one civil servant cost £10,212.36.

The final trip of the year was to Blackpool for the British and Irish Council where the Chief was accompanied by two civil servants cost £2,047.60.

In total, the taxpayer spent £27,742.12 on trips between September and the end of the year.

In September, Chief Alf said: ‘Growing our economy is vital to funding high quality public services and maintaining our cherished quality of life.  That is why securing a strong and diverse economy is one of the key pillars of our Island Plan.

‘To deliver on this ambition we must engage, build relationships and market ourselves in the UK, Europe and further afield, ensuring we seize opportunities and play to our strengths. The rewards include attracting new workers, increased exports and growing inward investment.  This won’t happen on its own, nor will it happen overnight. It will take a sustained long-term effort that we must commit to if we are to succeed.

‘I recognise the current cost of living crisis is affecting everyone across the Island, but if we are serious about securing our future then we must roll our sleeves up and set about strengthening existing relationships and forging new ones.

‘We want to create an environment where Isle of Man companies can flourish and grow, and Government has a significant role to play in this.’