Mec Vannin (lit. 'Sons of Man')[2] is a political party operating in the Isle of Man. Formed in 1962, it seeks to revoke the status of Man as a British self-governing Crown dependency and establish a completely sovereign state, which would be a republic.
Mec Vannin | |
---|---|
President | Bernard Moffatt |
Founded | 1962 |
Newspaper | Yn Pabyr Seyr |
Ideology | Manx nationalism[1] Social democracy[1] Republicanism[1] Environmentalism |
Political position | Centre-left to left-wing |
Colours | Green |
House of Keys | 0 / 24 |
Legislative Council | 0 / 11 |
Website | |
mecvannin | |
It describes its aims as being:
To achieve national independence for Mann as a sovereign state, based on a republican form of government. To further and safeguard the interests of Mann. To protect the individual and collective rights of its people.
— [3]
It is alternatively called or subtitled "The Manx Nationalist Party",[4][5] but is not to be confused with the Manx National Party, which was a name used by another party.
Mec Vannin was formed in 1962 and has held minuted meetings since February 1964.[6]
Mec Vannin's growth can be considered to be directly parallel to the Isle of Man's status as a tax haven.[7] In particular, they have campaigned against immigration to the island, particularly from England. This featured in their 2008 platform[8] and policy:
The party stated in the 1980s that it was concerned with "the prospects of our survival as a nation, as a distinct Celtic community in its own right and with its own identity and independence".[10]
In the 1976 election Mec Vannin put up ten candidates.[11] Only one was successful though, Peter Craine. He remains the only person to have been a Mec Vannin Member of the House of Keys (MHK), although several ex-members have gone on to become MHKs, such as Treasury Minister Allan Bell, Phil Gawne and Hazel Hannan. Peter Craine subsequently left the party, joining the short-lived breakaway Manx National Party which was formed in 1977 and disbanded in 1981.
They participated in the 1981 election also, in the Peel constituency.[11]
Mec Vannin's environmentalist policies include opposition to overuse of fossil fuels. They support further decentralisation of power within the island, to local councils.
Other policies include:
Mec Vannin is also highly critical of the Manx legal and policing systems, as they currently[when?] stand.[citation needed]
Distributed at least twice a year since 1991, Yn Pabyr Seyr The Free Paper is the newsletter of Mec Vannin, publicising their policies, views and comments. The archive of back-issues available on line is being updated on an ongoing basis. Its name means "The Free Paper" in Manx,[12] but the majority of content is in English.
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