The Isle of Man Government’s programme of proactive engagement with the UK’s main political parties continued this week when Chief Minister Allan Bell MHK led a delegation to the Conservative conference in Manchester.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Economic Development Minister Laurence Skelly MHK and Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister Richard Ronan MHK.

In and around the conference members of the Manx delegation attended presentations on issues relevant to their areas of responsibility, heard keynote speeches from senior Party and UK Government figures, and took part in a number of meetings both formal and informal.

Those that they met or spoke to included: The Chancellor George Osborne MP; Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills; Theresa Villiers MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; Chris Grayling MP, Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council; Priti Patel MP, Minister of State for Employment; Robert Halfon MP, Minister without Portfolio; Mark Field MP (MP for Cities of London and Westminster); Bob Neill MP, Chair of the Justice Select Committee; Graham Brady MP, Chair of the 1922 Committee; John Allan, National Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses; Jake Berry MP, Member of the House of Commons Finance Committee; David Morris, MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale; Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Valley; and Lord Faulks, Justice Minister with responsibility for relations with the Crown Dependencies.

The Chief Minister commented: ‘This was the first conference of a Conservative Party in majority government for 18 years, so it was a significant occasion. It is obvious that there are now clear differences between the Conservative and Labour parties, and that the Conservatives are moving to occupy the centre ground of politics.

‘Our attendance at the conference was an opportunity to renew relationships with key Ministers and to learn more about the direction of travel of the UK Government over the next few years. We received a very positive response from everyone we met.

‘In recent years our political engagement programme has achieved a much better level of recognition of the Isle of Man amongst our neighbours, and greater understanding of what the Island is all about. We have to continue building these friendships, because that is the best way to protect the Island’s interests.’