VAT burden and healthcare waits among northern concerns

Long waiting times for healthcare, the availability of bus services, and the burden of VAT on the hospitality trade are among the concerns for those living in the Ayre and Michael.

The largest by landmass of the Isle of Man's12 constituencies, it stretches from the western coast to the most northerly tip of the island.

Although made up of six distinct parishes, similar concerns echo through them all.

Mark, who runs a pub in Sulby, said costs had "gone up tremendously over the past two or three years".

"We try to keep prices as low as we can because we do want them to come out," he explained.

"But at the same time those costs because they've gone up so much the VAT hit has really hurt us."

"When you're buying food in the raw ingredients there's no VAT on it and yet when you sell it as a product you have to put VAT on that.

"So 20% of every meal that we serve here straight away goes to the VAT man."

He said a cut in the rate would help the hospitality trade and its customers, adding that a drop in the prices charged for ferry travel would also help encourage more visitors over as the summer season came to an end.

In Jurby, the cost of ferry travel was also raised as an issue by Sarah and Simon at the parish's local shop.

Price fluctuation was an issue, Simon said: "One day it's whatever amount for a foot passenger then you look another day and its three times the amount."

"Quite often it's cheaper to fly and hire a car than it is to go by boat," Sarah added.

The government wage bill was also a concern for Sarah, who said the money was "not being spent on things that it needed to be".

Other issues for the community were the need for more social housing, the bus services, road maintenance, and the management of the verges and hedgerows.

In Andreas, the conversation was also focussed on the general maintenance in the village.

"The government have put all the costing out to the commissioners [and] they've got no money in the pot to actually do anything," Debbie said.

"We've always been proud of this village but it looks really bad."

But it was health services that were deemed "the biggest issue".

"I had to go to A&E the other night, seven hours I was sitting up there for," Lynn said.

"There's not enough doctors and nurses on, the system is broken, it needs to be sorted.

For Lee and Lynsey, who run a tearoom in Bride, the forthcoming election was a "frustration".

Lee explained: "I would like to vote, but I just don't think it will get us anywhere."

"It should be an all-island thing, I believe personally, because it is an island, it's small."

"Everyone's going to have different ideas of different parts of the island so some are going to be better some are going to be worse - everyone just needs to join together."

As the operator of a small business, he agreed VAT on hospitality was something that could be addressed.

"If you've been successful you get penalised for 20% VAT as soon as you hit a mark," he said.

"If we got charged VAT [on the ingredients] we could claim some of that back for the food, but we are literally passing on a debt to the customer to be the middleman to pass to the government.

"I get that we're working with the UK and all that stuff and we've got to stick with their guidelines but there's got to be some give there I believe."

Lynsey said a lack of buses services for the area was also hitting trade.

"If they have proper buses out here, I think they'll come out.

"After half-past-six at night there are no buses out here, and on a Sunday there's one that's in the morning," she said.

Lee agreed it was also having a big effect on younger people in the community because the "the ones out in the sticks can't get to town to see their friends".

"The school's in Ramsey so they've got friends from Ramsey."

Access to healthcare was also something of concern, said Lynsey, who described the system as "all messed up".

"I tried to make an appointment in January and I couldn't get an appointment with a doctor until May.

"It's crazy and then they wonder why too many people are leaving or have not returned to the island after university. There's just no incentive anymore."

Malcolm, a former vicar at the church in Kirk Michael, said issues raised within the village at recent gatherings included housing concerns.

He said it was an issue that was also potentially keeping graduates from returning home.

"Some of them want to come back but they can't afford anywhere to live," he said.

Another long-standing concern for people within the parish was coastal erosion and the need to protect the coastline, he added.

"That's been going a long while and nothing's been done really. It's gradually coming back, a metre a year at a guess, and they're concerned about that."

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