Nominations Open for Isle of Man Legislative Council Seats

The nomination period has commenced for four positions within the Isle of Man’s parliamentary upper chamber, the Legislative Council. This body primarily functions as a reviewing authority for new legislation enacted on the island, with its members elected by the House of Keys. The election is scheduled for 10:00 GMT on March 4, to be held in the Keys chamber. Laurence Skelly, President of Tynwald, stated that MLCs are “valuable and vital” members who contribute to the island’s governance through the “scrutiny and promotion of legislation.” Skelly urged a diverse array of candidates to apply, emphasizing that the parliament ought to “represent the island community in all its forms,” particularly individuals who are “under or unrepresented” within Tynwald. These four vacancies will become available following the conclusion of the current terms of office for Peter Greenhill, Bill Henderson, Rob Mercer, and Kerry Sharpe on February 28. Pursuant to amendments sanctioned in July, prospective candidates are now required to complete an application form before obtaining the endorsement of a minimum of four Members of the House of Keys (MHKs). The Speaker of the House of Keys disclosed the procedural timeline on Tuesday. The submission deadline for applications is January 9 at 12:00. This will be succeeded by an applicants’ conference, providing an opportunity for those who have applied to engage with MHKs. Subsequently, aspiring MLCs have until February 13 to secure a proposer, a seconder, and at least two additional supporters from the House of Keys to qualify for the election. A hustings event for all successful applicants is scheduled for February 24, with the vote occurring in the subsequent week. The successful candidates will occupy four of the council’s 11 seats. The council comprises eight MLCs elected by the MHKs, in addition to the President of Tynwald, the Attorney General, and the Bishop of Sodor and Man. Elections for the upper chamber are conducted in four-seat increments biennially, with elected members serving a four-year term. Beyond its function as a revising chamber for proposed new legislation, members of the Legislative Council also participate in Tynwald debates and hold positions within government departments. Juan Watterson SHK commented that the updated procedure for this election “should look and feel like a conventional recruitment process” while simultaneously continuing to “ensure that applicants are subject to the necessary public and political scrutiny before election.”