Isle of Man election brings 15 new members to House of Keys as three ministers lose seats

The Isle of Man elected 15 new members to its 24-seat House of Keys on 24 September, while three serving ministers lost their seats. Chief Minister Alfred Cannan was re-elected, but the result does not settle who will lead the next government: the new House is scheduled to nominate a chief minister on 13 October.

The defeated ministers were Tim Johnston, who held the enterprise portfolio; Daphne Caine, the education, sport and culture minister; and Clare Barber, the environment, food and agriculture minister, according to the BBC. Their departures are part of a wider change in the chamber: seven outgoing members who stood again failed to win re-election.

A changed House of Keys

Former infrastructure minister Michelle Haywood, former health and social care minister Lawrie Hooper, former education, sport and culture minister Julie Edge, and deputy speaker Ann Corlett were the other outgoing members who lost, the BBC reported. The defeats came in an election contested by 82 candidates for 24 seats.

Some turnover was certain before polling began. Six members had retired, Juan Watterson had become President of Tynwald, and John Wannenburgh died in August. Together, those departures meant the House was already guaranteed at least eight new faces; the election ultimately returned 15 newcomers.

The BBC reported that eight of the 15 new members are women; 10 women were elected in 2021. Manx Labour’s Sarah Maltby and Joney Faragher both retained their seats. Hooper’s defeat in Ramsey left the Liberal Vannin Party without an elected House of Keys member for the first time since it was established. Neither of the newly created parties, Change and Transform Isle of Man, won a seat.

An 18-year-old enters the House

In Glenfaba and Peel, Katryna Baptist led the poll with 1,232 votes and Daniel Davison took the other seat with 1,147. Manx Radio reported turnout of 51.84% in the constituency. Davison, an independent aged 18, became the youngest person elected to the House of Keys; Isle of Man Today identified Peter Karran, elected at 25 in 1985, as the previous record holder.

Davison told Media Isle of Man that he was ‘shocked more than anything’ and ‘very proud’ after winning. He said he had stood to give a voice to a generation that had not previously been represented in the island’s government. Before the vote, he identified retaining young people, providing infrastructure before further development, and greater government transparency and accountability among his priorities.

Davison also argued that the cost of failing to act early on financial problems would fall on his generation over the next 30 years, according to Media Isle of Man. Baptist told the BBC she was ‘really excited’ about her election, while acknowledging that there was ‘a lot of work to do’. Their two wins replaced both seats in Glenfaba and Peel with first-time members.

The next decision

The results show who will sit in the House, rather than who will serve as chief minister. The BBC reported that elected members were due to be sworn in on Tuesday, 29 September. The House of Keys was then scheduled to meet on 13 October to nominate a chief minister and a speaker.

That process leaves Cannan’s future as chief minister open despite his re-election. He remains a member of the incoming House, alongside ministers who retained their seats and newcomers who have yet to take part in that nomination. For voters, the immediate result is a chamber with substantial turnover; its choice of leader is still to come.