There are a number of vestigialremnants of Britain's former colonial empire dotted around the globe. _ Surprisingly a number of these are in Europe. Most people have vaguel}@8f" the semi = feyial regimes in the 5 Channel Islands; recent. publicity over corporal punishment has highlighted them. Not so many people seem to be aware of the set-up in the Isle of Men. This has a two-chamber legislature: one of which is elected but the other entirely appointed, We have been promised an article on the many undemocratic features of this system, but in the meantime two items came our way which illustrate how things work out in practices
On November 17th, the Lieut.-Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir Ronald Garvey, announced in the Tynwald (the Manx Parliament) that though ingmeral the British autumn budget would be followed certain measures ° would not be implemented. Prescription charges would remain, Although the 6a increase on petrol would be immediately implemented, it was intended to increase the rebate which road service operators already enjoyed = at present 6d = by a further sixpence, Thus the Manx Government would be subsidising business interest to the tune of £4,500 a year. Neither would the Corporation tax and capitel gains tax envisaged in Callaghan's budget be followed in the Isle of Man,
The next day the Tynwald ratified by . large majority the concession to the Isle of Man Broadcasting Company to operate Manx radio as a commer= Cial broadcasting station. This is the first commereial radio station to be legalised within the British Isles,
However, there is a bright spots The Manx Co-operative Society has decided to affiliate to the Co-operative Party, This effiliation will introduce a new factor in politics on the island.