Behind the Borders: Howard Quayle prepares to stand down as Chief Minister

Full interview with Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK

"Be true to what you believe in and try and make time for your family".

Those were the concluding words to my interview with Chief Minister Howard Quayle who's decided to step away from Manx politics after a decade in the House of Keys.The 'boy from Barregarrow', as he described himself said he doesn't consider himself a politician and had "no political ambition whatsoever".And yet, he has found himself as the leader of a small nation for the last five years tackling some of the greatest challenges the Isle of Man has faced since the Second World War.

Whatever your view of Howard Quayle, he has been at the forefront of leading the Isle of Man out of the global pandemic and been thrown into a crisis nobody could plan for.

We have spoken on many occasions, often weekly, over the last year largely in the context of the renowned government media briefings.

But this was another occasion to drill a bit deeper into the character of the Island's leader, and an opportunity for an update on some of Covid decisions - both in the past and fast approaching.

This included the ongoing Steam Packet Company investigation, his relationship with the media and his explanation for calling ITV Granada Reports "last and least" during a more memorable press conference!

I hope you can find the time to watch as the Chief Minister reflects on his time in politics and discusses some of the more recent government decisions.