Chief Minister Tony Brown MHK has welcomed Lord McNally to the Isle of Man on his first visit since his appointment as Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice with special responsibilities for the Crown Dependencies. Lord McNally arrived on Thursday (May 26) for a two-day visit which included meetings with Ministers and senior officers, and briefings on the various sectors of the Island’s economy. The Chief Minister thanked Lord McNally, whom he had met on a number of previous occasions, for supporting the development of the Island’s relationship with the United Kingdom. This included the building of direct relationships with other UK Government departments and streamlining the processing of legislation. Said Mr Brown: ‘The Ministry of Justice is a key link in our relationship with the United Kingdom, and we are very grateful to Lord McNally for his help in moving that relationship forward.’ Lord McNally spoke of his fond memories of the Isle of Man, having first visited on holiday as a child. He commented: ‘I am genuinely impressed with the dynamism of the modern Manx economy. Your outward looking strategy for diversification should allow the Island to survive and prosper in an increasingly competitive world.’ Ends