Your Voice Shapes Our Future

Final Words from the people of Rushen and the wider community :

Constituents have raised concerns about being an older person who has spent 40 years raising their children and grandchildren and will be left with little to no pension:

I will champion:
•  Proactive National Insurance checks for long-term family carers so missing credits for raising children and grandchildren are identified and applied.
•  Easier, better-publicised grandparent/carer credits so people who stepped in to raise the next generation are not left with gaps in their pension record.
•  A proper safety net through Income Support and related help, so no one who has spent decades caring ends up in poverty in later life.
•  Fairer recognition of unpaid family care in the pension system, treating it as a real contribution rather than a private choice that leaves people penalised.
•  A clear review of how carers are treated under the current rules, including overlapping benefits and the long-term impact on women and grandparents in particular.

Constituents have raised concerns over overcrowding and work needing doing in public sector houses which has not been done at commissioner level.

Constituents in private housing have raised concerns about rental prices and the cost of living.

Housing & Local Commissioners
I will push for practical support so local commissioners can deliver timely repairs and tackle overcrowding. This means better resourcing and shared capacity where authorities are understaffed, clearer performance standards for public housing, and faster escalation routes when residents are left in unacceptable conditions. People should not have to live with outstanding work and overcrowding because the system is stretched and commissioners are understaffed.

Two older constituents were left waiting 1.5-2.5 hours for an ambulance.

Ambulance response times
I will push for faster, more reliable ambulance response times, especially for older and vulnerable residents. Long waits of 90 minutes or more are unacceptable. I will press Manx Care and the Department for clearer performance data, better crew availability, reduced hospital handover delays, and practical steps that improve coverage across the Island.

Constituents have raised questions about the CinemaNX film fund and the losses of over £20 million of public money:

CinemaNX public inquiry
I will support a properly scoped, independent public inquiry or focused Select Committee into CinemaNX. Significant public money was involved, and questions about governance, oversight and how losses of over £20 million occurred despite Treasury involvement remain legitimate. An inquiry focused on learning lessons — particularly around risk management, commercial oversight, and how future public investment in the creative industries should be structured — would be in the public interest. It should help ensure any future decisions about supporting the screen sector are better informed and more accountable.

Constituents have raised concerns regarding the lack of support for Manx agriculture, food security and sustainability.

Engaging with Manx agriculture
I am already in discussion with the Manx National Farmers’ Union and have accepted their invitation to the Farming for the Future event on Thursday 10 September. Agriculture makes an essential contribution to our economy, environment, landscape and rural communities. I look forward to listening to farmers and working with them on practical ways to strengthen the Island’s food security and support a sustainable future for Manx farming.

Constituents have raised concerns about a number of aspects in the local community surrounding healthcare.

Healthcare
Long waits for GP appointments at Southern Group Practice in Port Erin are a real frustration for many local families. As a high-activity practice serving over 8,000 patients with limited GP capacity, too many people are waiting more than a week for routine care or struggling to get through for urgent slots.

This is not good enough. Primary care is the foundation of our health service, and residents in the South deserve reliable, timely access.

If elected, I will:
•  Work directly with Manx Care and the practice to increase appointment capacity, support recruitment and retention of GPs and wider clinical staff and expand the use of First Contact Practitioners (physiotherapy and mental health) so more people get the right help without needing a GP first.
•  Push for better transparency on waiting times and appointment availability across practices in the South, so problems are identified and fixed earlier.
•  Champion practical alternatives such as the Pharmacy First scheme and improved online booking systems, while ensuring those who need face-to-face or same-day care can still get it.
•  Make sure patient feedback through MCALS and the practice is properly acted upon, and that residents know how to raise concerns without it affecting their care.
•  Support families and those with ongoing health needs by reducing unnecessary barriers to care closer to home.

I am not interested in excuses or endless reviews. I will listen to patients and staff, focus on practical solutions, and hold the system to account so that people in Port Erin, Port St Mary and the surrounding areas can get the GP access they need, when they need it.

Constituents have concerns about maternal health and the lack of support after birth.

Maternal Mental Health – Support After Birth
Having a baby should be a time of hope and support, yet new mothers on the Isle of Man face postnatal mental health challenges, anxiety, depression, isolation, and the lasting impact of birth trauma or baby loss, with limited timely help available.

I will push for better, more joined-up support for maternal mental health across the Island. This includes easier and earlier access to specialist perinatal mental health services, stronger links between GPs, midwives, health visitors and community support, and ensuring no new parent is left waiting or struggling alone.

Drawing on the work of charities and families who know these challenges first-hand, I will champion practical improvements so that every mother and family in Rushen and across the Isle of Man gets the compassionate, prompt support they need in those critical early months and beyond.

Constituent’s have raised concerns about Reayrt Vradda being an eye sore to the local area.

Reayrt Vradda Glamping Site
Reayrt Vradda – Getting Development Right for Port Erin and Rushen
The unfinished Reayrt Vradda site on Ballafesson Road has become a clear example of what happens when development is allowed to stall. What was promised as a quality tourism facility has instead left an incomplete site that many local people now see as an eyesore, while ratepayers face the ongoing costs and uncertainty.

This should never have been allowed to drag on.

As your representative for Rushen I will push for:
• Stronger planning enforcement so incomplete projects are not left in limbo.
• Clear accountability when schemes fail, protecting ratepayers from unnecessary financial burden.
• A proper process once control of the site returns to Port Erin Commissioners, so the land is secured, made safe, and put to a use that actually benefits the village.

Rushen deserves development that is finished properly, respects the character of our communities, and delivers real benefit not long-term messes that drag down the area.

I will work to make sure lessons are learned from Reayrt Vradda and that future projects are held to a higher standard.