It used to be known as the Island of Speed.. but now with the news that assisted dying, votes for 16-year-olds and legalised growth of cannabis have been passed on the island: is the Isle of Man the wokest place in the UK?
It’s a question most locals seem ill-equipped to answer.
In recent weeks, the Manx community of the Isle of Man have been hit with many soul-splintering dilemmas. Should they introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit on the Island? Should they accept the introduction of assisted dying?
And should they open their arms to a Wetherspoons? The answer to at least two of those is yes.
From last week, the Isle of Man became the first place in the UK to pass legislation that would permit assisted dying, despite opposition from campaigners.
Terminally ill people will be given ‘autonomy and choice’ at the end of their lives, Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said, as the bill took its final step towards becoming law.
The island is likely to become the first part of the British Isles to legalise assisted dying, after its proposed legislation was voted through by the parliament’s upper chamber.
Members of what is known as its legislative council approved a final reading of the Assisted Dying Bill on Tuesday.
The Bill will now be put forward for royal assent, at which point it will become law.
Dr Alex Allinson, the member of the House of Keys – the directly elected lower house on the island – who introduced the private member’s bill in 2022, said he is hopeful it can become law later this year.
But even if it does successfully go into law, an assisted dying service would not be in place until 2027 at the earliest.
The introduction of the UK’s first assisted dying bill already places the Isle of Man as an outlier in terms of health policy, however the island’s local MP insists that as with all the island’s out there policies due consideration will be given.
Speaking to , Alex Allison insisted that the island’s new bill would be properly scrutinised and pointed to a number of places where the island was soaring ahead of the UK.
He claimed: ‘I have been realistic to say that within the bill, although it’s been passed, we do need to get quite a lot of secondary legislation
‘We do need to make sure we’ve got the right guidelines, codes of practice, and most countries that bring in assisted dying, it’s taken them a good 18 months to two years to do all that sort of work, but also to do the right amount of public education, the right amount of training for people who are going to be involved with providing the service.
‘And so, certainly, you know, I’ve said, you know, if you get royal assent this year, I wouldn’t expect it to come into operation [indistinguishable] until 2027.
‘We bought our ferry company a couple of years ago, just before Covid, it just seemed like a very good idea at the time.
‘We’ve got our own nationalised water industry that we’ve never sold off and are investing in. So, we’ve got cleaner waters than the UK which has obviously become an issue there.
‘And so we’ve looked at those areas which would benefit from public-private partnership and those elements that really should be within a government ownership.’
When the visited the sunny Isle earlier this week, the rock was bathed in spring sunlight and the inhabitants were busying themselves.
Though the island is only 33 miles long and 13 miles wide, there is a great deal packed into such a small space.
The main town is Douglas, on the east coast. Built around a crescent moon of a bay, it has a large and sturdy harbour protecting ships from sea storms.
spoke to shoppers enjoying themselves on Strand Street which runs parallel to the prom, and many expressed fears about the island’s lurch to the left.
Student Sean Christian told he was dismayed the island could soon add death to its connotations.
He explained: ‘I just think it’s not something we really want to be associated with. With a place with very high suicide rates, it’s not something you want to be known for.
‘We used to be known for speed, now its taxes, assisted dying and old people retiring.’
Long-time resident Kevin Woodford offered a more sage assessment.
He said: ‘It’s complicated. It has to be properly looked after or I fear it will be manipulated.
‘I understand the complexities but it has to be controlled. The worst thing that could happen is it becomes this concept of death tourism.’
Young couple Logan Gaskell, 24, and Rocky Poole, 26, were broadly for it however, although for differing reasons.
Rocky said: ‘I’m really for it. People should have the freedom. We are worried about people abusing it.
Logan said: ‘It doesn’t really matter if people abuse it? If someone is dying from ALS, why would you want them to suffer. People should have the choice.
Rocky added: ‘Also, for people in the UK it could save them a fortune. Rather than go to Switzerland, come to the Isle of Man, if they have a pint at the same time, it would be great for business.’
Many of the island’s more libertarian policies have been in affect for years and made the island’s new inhabitants feel more at home.
27-year-old Harry Matthews recently moved to the island with his dog Woody from Devon.
He said: ‘Assisted dying is pretty intense, and we can buy weed and vote at 16! It is a respectful place, people will listen to these laws.
‘I’m not worried about death tourism. If people want to come here to pop their clogs, that’s up to them. I used to live in Devon and just moved here – I love it!
‘It’s getting more progressive here, we have an independent government so it makes it easier.’