Image source, Tynwald Image caption, Ard-shirveishagh Chris Thomas has outlined his priorities surrounding connectivity ByAlex BlakeIsle of Man Published 1 minute ago The chief minister of the Isle of Man has said reliance on imports, risks of transport disruption, and pressure on household finances are among the main challenges facing the new government.
The warning came after recent storms disrupted sea and air connections, and questions over how prepared the island is for more prolonged supply problems.
Chris Thomas outlined plans to strengthen food security and connectivity, but said emergency preparedness was not among his top five priorities.
The chief minister, ard-shirveishagh in Manx, said: "It is a serious issue.
We need to improve connectivity through the airport and through Douglas Harbour." He said ensuring "the firms that bring our supplies to us... can get to the island will be a big focus for this government".
He acknowledged that more needed to be done around emergency planning and public information, adding the government had held workshops on the issue in 2025 and would look to improve communication with residents.
Food security One area of focus was reducing the island's reliance on imported food through greater support for local agriculture, Thomas said.
He said one of his first meetings in the role was with the Manx National Farmers' Union, with discussions focusing on maximising local production and reducing supply risks.
He also highlighted the need to improve storage and warehouse capacity.
Thomas said there was "substantial building going on" on Cooil Road in Braddan, to "optimise the amount of storage we have".
But the island's ability to maintain supplies remained closely linked to the reliability of its transport connections, he said.
He said: "We had the worst possible situation at the end of October where we had some runway lights out on our airport and we had storms at the harbour." Improvements were needed at the airport, including air traffic control services, to help provide more reliable and affordable routes, he added.
The ard-shirveishagh said sea connectivity was another priority, with the government facing ongoing questions about the Steam Packet's vessels and the suitability of the new vessel for Douglas Harbour.
He confirmed that the purchase of another vessel remains on pause until harbour issues, including the need for dredging, have been addressed.
Cost of living Thomas said putting more money back into people's pockets would be central to the government's approach, pointing to the increase in personal tax allowances introduced in the February budget.
He argued that creating a "smaller, smarter, more efficient, more effective" government would help reduce pressure on taxpayers while allowing people to retain more of their income.
He also acknowledged the impact of international events on fuel and food prices, and said the government needed to focus on tackling the underlying problems affecting people's lives.
While he encouraged residents to take sensible steps to manage their own risks, he said household stockpiling was not something he wanted to make a major government priority.
