Alex Allinson reflects on dismissal and defends minimum wage stance

Former treasury minister discusses circumstances surrounding sacking and reflects on his approach to economic policy

The former Treasury Minister has spoken publicly for the first time since being removed from office, defending his approach to economic policy and saying he was 'surprised' by the government’s change of direction.

Alex Allinson has spoken to Manx Radio about the circumstances surrounding his dismissal, his reaction to it, and his views on the policy disagreements that preceded it.

Dr Allinson began by wishing Chris Thomas well in his new role as treasury minister, saying a significant amount of work had already been carried out on the Budget, which he said had been in development since July last year.

He says he hoped elements of the work he had overseen would be preserved, including proposals he believes would have invested in infrastructure, security and safety, connectivity, education and health. However, he adds that he was interested to see what further measures would now be progressed.

Addressing criticism around the proposed minimum wage increase, Dr Allinson claims it had been difficult to revisit an approach that had already been approved by Tynwald, including a 9.9 percent rise.

He says the policy had been agreed, with legislation and regulations already brought forward.

Speaking to Manx Radio's Political Correspondent Phil Gawne, he described it as "very surprising" that the government subsequently changed course, adding that he was also surprised by Tynwald's decision to reverse its earlier position, though he acknowledged that "that’s democracy":

Referring to commentary by political commentator Alistair Ramsay, Dr Allinson says he believed lobbying could have a strong influence in a small political system, where access to decision-makers was more immediate.

He believes some people felt threatened by changes agreed by Tynwald and pursued by government, but argued that workers deserved higher pay, where he pointed to staff in restaurants and bars, describing them as being worth the 9.9 percent increase.

When asked about remarks made in Tynwald by the chief minister, who described him as one of the "shrill voices of socialism", Dr Allinson said framing debates in terms of left- or right-wing ideology was not 'particularly helpful'.

He believes his role had involved promoting the economic strategy and investing in infrastructure, which he said had led to the introduction of a range of different schemes.

While describing himself as pragmatic, he said he was also "a patriot for the Isle of Man" who wanted the Island to thrive, and stressed that he had been committed to pursuing both Council of Ministers and Tynwald policy.

Dr Allinson says he made "no bones" about his personal ideology, describing himself as a 'socialist' and saying he strongly believed in the NHS and the benefits system. However, he added that these views were not incompatible with pragmatic working relationships with the private sector in order to achieve wider policy aims.

You can hear the full interview with Alex Allinson on Manx Radio's Agenda programme on Monday, 26 January from 5:30pm.