{{short description|Nationalist political party in the Isle of Man}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox political party |country = the Isle of Man |name = Mec Vannin |colorcode = green |logo =Mecvannin.png |logo_size =150px |president = Bernard Moffatt |deputy leader = |preceded by = |foundation = 1962 |newspaper = Yn Pabyr Seyr |ideology = Manx nationalism<ref name="nat">{{Cite web|title=Wha's Like Us: The independence movements of England|last=Hannan|first=Martin|date=28 August 2017|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/15499621.whas-like-us-the-independence-movements-of-england/|access-date=2021-09-22|website=The National|language=en}}</ref><br />Social democracy<ref name="nat"/><br />Republicanism<ref name="nat"/><br />Environmentalism |position = Centre-left to left-wing |international = |european = |europarl = |seats1_title = House of Keys |seats1 = {{Composition bar|0|24|green}} |colours = Green | seats2_title = Legislative Council | seats2 = {{Composition bar|0|11|green}} |headquarters = |website ={{URL|mecvannin.im}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025}} }}
{{lang|gv|'''Mec Vannin'''}} ({{literal translation|Sons of Man}})<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bloom |first1=Clive |title=Restless Revolutionaries A History of Britain's Fight for a Republic |date=2016 |publisher=History Press}}</ref> is a political party operating in the Isle of Man. Formed in 1962, it seeks to revoke the status of Man as a British self-governing Crown dependency and establish a completely sovereign state, which would be a republic.
It describes its aims as being: {{blockquote|To achieve national independence for Mann as a sovereign state, based on a republican form of government. To further and safeguard the interests of Mann. To protect the individual and collective rights of its people.|<ref>[http://www.manxman.co.im/mecvan/ Mec Vannin] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040404115227/http://www.manxman.co.im/mecvan/ |date=2004-04-04 }}</ref>}}
It is alternatively called or subtitled "The '''Manx Nationalist Party'''",<ref>[http://mecavannin.im]{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://mecvannin.im/psmenu.php | title=Mec Vannin's Pabyr Seyr}}</ref> but is not to be confused with the Manx National Party, which was a name used by another party.
==History== {{Politics of the Isle of Man}}
Mec Vannin was formed in 1962 and has held minuted meetings since February 1964.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://mecvannin.im/about.php |title = About Mec Vannin}}</ref>
{{lang|gv|Mec Vannin}}'s growth can be considered to be directly parallel to the Isle of Man's status as a tax haven.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120527065720/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mec_vannin/message/81 Yahoo! Groups<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In particular, they have campaigned against immigration to the island, particularly from England. This featured in their 2008 platform<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110721145524/http://www.mecvannin.im/pabyr/yps35.pdf Immigration, who's kidding who?]</ref> and policy:
:"In a small island nation such as ours, in default of policies to control the growth of the finance sector, policies to control the size of the population are essential for the achievement of economic, ecological and cultural sustainability. The rapid and unnatural population increase, due to an open door policy on immigration, has increased the burden on the island's infrastructure and environment whilst eroding the fabric of community life. As a result, Mec Vannin believes the immediate introduction of immigration controls to be a priority."<ref name=policy>[http://www.mecvannin.im/mvpolicy.html Mec Vannin Policy<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080123121411/http://www.mecvannin.im/mvpolicy.html |date=2008-01-23 }}</ref>
The party stated in the 1980s that it was concerned with "the prospects of our survival as a nation, as a distinct Celtic community in its own right and with its own identity and independence".<ref>{{cite book |title=The Isle of Man Celebrating a Sense of Place |date=1990 |publisher=Liverpool University Press |page=149}}</ref>
In the 1976 election Mec Vannin put up ten candidates.<ref name=os>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xLhClgF30w4C&q=mec+vannin&pg=PA227 |title = Offshore Island Politics: The Constitutional and Political Development of the Isle of Man in the Twentieth Century|isbn = 9780853237877|last1 = Kermode|first1 = D. G.|year = 2001 |page=313| publisher=Liverpool University Press }}</ref> Only one was successful though, Peter Craine. He remains the only person to have been a {{lang|gv|Mec Vannin}} Member of the House of Keys (MHK), although several ex-members have gone on to become MHKs, such as Treasury Minister Allan Bell, Phil Gawne and Hazel Hannan. Peter Craine subsequently left the party, joining the short-lived breakaway Manx National Party which was formed in 1977 and disbanded in 1981.
They participated in the 1981 election also, in the Peel constituency.<ref name=os/>
===Additional policy=== Mec Vannin's environmentalist policies include opposition to overuse of fossil fuels. They support further decentralisation of power within the island, to local councils.
Other policies include:
*: "Manx nationality must be defined by legislation and a Manx passport introduced, with Manx nationality being first citizenship. Whilst all residents would be eligible for Manx citizenship upon the introduction of legislation, subsequent new residents could only become citizens after due process of naturalisation. Only Manx citizens would be eligible to vote or to stand for representative public office."<ref name=policy /> * On customs union: *: "The right to determine indirect taxation, including VAT."{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}
===''Yn Pabyr Seyr''=== Distributed at least twice a year since 1991, {{lang|gv|Yn Pabyr Seyr}} ''The Free Paper'' is the newsletter of {{lang|gv|Mec Vannin}}, publicising their policies, views and comments. The archive of back-issues available on line is being updated on an ongoing basis. Its name means "The Free Paper" in Manx,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://homepages.enterprise.net/kelly/LIST/DICTIONARY/dict2/S.html |title=Archived copy |website=homepages.enterprise.net |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010702032734/http://homepages.enterprise.net/kelly/LIST/DICTIONARY/dict2/S.html |archive-date=2 July 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref> but the majority of content is in English.
==Office holders== {{unreferenced section|date=May 2023}} * President: Bernard Moffatt
==References== {{reflist}}
== See also ==
==External links== * [http://www.mecvannin.im {{lang|gv|Mec Vannin}} website] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120209181627/http://www.mecvannin.im/psmenu.html {{lang|gv|Yn Pabyr Seyr}} online] * [http://www.mecvannin.im/archive/europe.html Options for future relations with European Union]
{{Manx political parties}}
Category:Left-wing nationalist parties Category:Manx nationalist parties Category:Republican parties Category:Republicanism in Europe Category:Separatism in the Isle of Man Category:Secessionist organizations in Europe Category:Pro-independence parties Category:Republicanism in the Isle of Man Category:Manx words and phrases Category:1962 establishments in the Isle of Man Category:Political parties established in 1962 Category:Socialism in the Isle of Man