Call for candidates for the Legislative Council

Members of the Legislative Council sit in their own chamber on Tuesdays

Nominations have opened for four seats in the upper chamber of the Isle of Man’s parliament.

The Legislative Council is primarily a revising chamber for new laws made on the island and its members are voted in by the House of Keys.

The election is due to take place at 10:00 GMT on 4 March in the Keys chamber.

President of Tynwald Laurence Skelly said MLCs were “valuable and vital” members who served the island through the “scrutiny and promotion of legislation”.

Calling for a wide range of candidates to put their names forward, Skelly said the parliament should “represent the island community in all its forms”, especially those who were "under or unrepresented" in Tynwald.

The four vacancies will arise as the current term of office comes to an end for Peter Greenhill, Bill Henderson, Rob Mercer and Kerry Sharpe on 28 February.

Under changes approved in July, those interested in serving now have to fill out an application form prior to securing the support of at least four MHKs.

Laurence Skelly called for a range of applicants to come forward

The timetable for the process was announced by the Speaker of the House of Keys on Tuesday.

The deadline for applications is 9 January at 12:00, and be followed by a applicants’ conference to allow those who apply to meet with MHKs.

Prospective MLCs then have until 13 February to secure a proposer, seconder and at least two other supporters from the House of Keys in order to stand in the election.

There will then be a hustings for all those who are successful on 24 February, before the vote takes place the following week.

The successful candidates will take up four of the 11 seats on the council, which consists of eight MLCs elected by the MHKs alongside the President of Tynwald, Attorney General and the Bishop of Sodor and Man.

Elections to the upper chamber take place in tranches of four seats every two years, with those elected serving a four-year term.

As well acting as a revising chamber for proposed new laws, members of the Legislative Council take part in Tynwald debates and serve on government departments.

Juan Watterson SHK said the revised procedure for the latest election “should look and feel like a conventional recruitment process” but would still “ensure that applicants are subject to the necessary public and political scrutiny before election”.