One year ago we launched Reayrtys with the aim of bringing together people and ideas to try and set out a more powerful and prosperous vision for the Isle of Man centred around constitutional reform.
We’re (almost) 12 months on, and now seems like a good time as any to reflect on what we have done over the past 12 months and what we plan to do in the future.
To recap, Reayrtys was born out of the plethora of conversations Simon and I were having with friends and colleagues about securing a more prosperous future for the Isle of Man in the face of a seemingly endless number of challenges. Frequently these discussions ended up centred on our constitution and our status as a crown dependency and what opportunities and risks could come from us taking some time to re-evaluate that status.
For most people, constitutional affairs are a pretty dry topic, far removed from practical policy making, it sits as an abstract distraction.
For most people, constitutional affairs are a pretty dry topic, far removed from practical policy-making, it sits as an abstract distraction. But the reality is that our constitution is important to both internal and external policy-making. It informs and provides structure to our legislative process, it shapes how we present and are able to present ourselves internationally and has a whole host of other implications from elections to immigration.
We are often told that the Isle of Man is uniquely placed as a Crown Dependency, internally independent but with strong links to the UK and agreements in place to cover defence, international relations and nationality. The Isle of Man has been on an evolving path of constitutional and political reform since revestment and each period of reform has brought new opportunities and challenges.
Whilst some would argue that we have reached the practical end point in the delivery of further autonomy and that our current constitutional arrangement serves us well, we take a different view.
Whilst some would argue that we have reached the practical endpoint in the delivery of further autonomy and that our current constitutional arrangement serves us well, we take a different view.
It's true that some recent crises have demonstrated the benefits which come from our status as a Crown Dependency and the strong cultural links between us and our neighbour across the Irish Sea, but this is not always the case. Increasingly what is best for the UK is not in line with what is best for the Isle of Man and legislation, policies and political structures which work across the water are not the best fit for the people of our country.
We want to see our nation and its people be given the best chance to thrive and that is why we believe that the time is right to have a frank conversation about how further moves towards autonomy and internal constitutional reform can ensure policies and the political structures best serve the people of the Isle of Man.
By no means are we the only country in these Isles to be having this discussion. Across the water and around the world topics of sovereignty, devolution, independence and political reform are high on the agenda, with an increasing recognition of the importance of the role which internal and external constitutional structures play in shaping policy.
We believe that the time is right to begin those conversations on the Isle of Man, learning from people and experts both domestic and around the globe.
So what have we actually done?
Simon and I would probably be the first to say, not enough. It may sound slightly defeatist but between our actual jobs and our desire not to anger our families and friends with constant discussions about Manx politics, I think it’s fair to say that we haven’t achieved all that we wanted to.
That’s not to say that we haven’t been busy, in 2022, we:
Published our first whitepaper which analyses the 2000 Council of Ministers report on the Implications of Independence and provide recommendations for future external relations work, was submitted to Tynwald’s Constitutional, Justice and Legal Affairs Committee last year
Published a number of articles on a range of topical issues, from the lack of vision in the Government's Island Plan, a summary of academic evidence to Tynwald's inquiry in the consitution to a blueprint for improving the Island's international relations strategy. We encourage you to go and take a read,
Published a review of Free Associated Statehood as a new constitutional model for Crown Dependencies by leading academic, Dr Maria Mut Bosque, from the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya. We have more on the way.
Behind the scenes is where we’ve been doing some of our most important and fun work. Reayrtys is not designed to be a talking shop for Simon and I and that’s why throughout 2022 we spoke with hundreds of people both on Mannin and further afield to see what they thought about the issues facing our nation and whether they believed our current political and constitutional setup was delivering. We had some fantastic conversations with academics, politicians and members of the public about what they want to see for the future of the Isle of Man and we learned a huge amount about some of the priorities.
So, what comes next?
The reasons why we set up Reayrtys are as relevant as ever.
The reasons why we set up Reayrtys are as relevant as ever and the challenges around the cost of living, increasing pressure on public expenditure, attracting inward investment and general political disaffection are not going away any time soon. We see a place for the work we want to do going forward and we’re committed to exploring and advocating how constitutional reform can have practical implications for all of us who call ourselves Manx.
We’re proud of what we have done so far but there is still so much more that we want to do. This blog is already too long to get into everything but I would be remiss without mentioning a few things we have planned.
First, we want to add to our catalogue of blogs and briefings, providing members of the public and politicians with interesting and useful resources on our constitution, relevant policy and options for further reform. We know that not everyone has time to swat up on policy priorities of the day or isn’t as into talking about this stuff as we are, that’s why we will aim to make these easily digestible and accessible.
We also want to host a series of online events diving into what the future of the Isle of Man could look like, bringing in experts and politicians and opening the floor for discussion with members of the public.
Another goal is to grow Reayrtys. We’ve enjoyed the work we’ve done so far but what is clear is that we can’t and don’t want to do it alone. Whether you want to contribute to a blog, help us to organise an event, support us in advocacy or help us steer and build whatever Reayrtys becomes we want to hear from you.
You can get in touch with us by emailing hello@reayrtys.com
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