Is the Manx view of party politics set to change?

The House of Keys meets separately as well as alongside the Legislative Council

While life at Westminster has long been dominated by party politics, things are a bit different on the Isle of Man, where most of the elected representatives are independent.

Twenty-four people serve in the House of Keys - the lower chamber of the island's parliament that was first established by Viking settlers more than 1,000 years ago.

Only three serving Members of the House of Keys are affiliated with one of the island's three registered political parties.

But now a new party, Isle of Man First, is calling for a "radical change" to the Manx system ahead of the next general election on 24 September 2026.

What does the new party stand for?

Restaurant owner Mitch Sorbie is starting the Isle of Man First group after becoming increasingly dissatisfied with how small businesses and the hospitality sector are governed.

Sorbie, who runs a pizzeria in Douglas, said the industry was facing too many financial pressures.

He warned that a combination of higher minimum wages, rising taxes on businesses, and VAT on food and drink created "a ticking time bomb for this industry to collapse".

Mitch Sorbie runs a pizzeria in Douglas

Sorbie aims to field a candidate in each of the island's 12 constituencies next year and dreams of securing a majority in the House of Keys.

He said: "Bars and restaurants are closing, we've lost them in Peel, we've lost them in Douglas, I think this could be the tip of the iceberg."

With so many restaurants being independently owned rather than part of franchises, Sorbie said there needed to be "one voice" to represent their interests.

What party representation is there?

The longest running party on the Isle of Man is the Manx Labour Party (MLP), which was established in 1918.

Party leader Joney Faragher said it was "formed from the turmoil of the first world war, and the deep inequality that was experienced".

Liberal Vannin was launched in 2006 and then the Isle of Man Green Party was established in 2016.

Serving MHKs with party memberships are Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper (Liberal Vannin), Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher (Manx Labour Party) and Douglas South MHK Sarah Maltby (Manx Labour Party).

Joney Faragher leads the Manx Labour Party, which was established in 1918

Faragher said it was good to "draw upon expertise within the party" and anyone could join it without choosing a career in politics.

Speaker of the House Juan Watterson said: "The Manx Labour Party hit its peak in the 1929 general election, with seven members."

Despite a motion for its members to sit together, it was not allowed.

Watterson said: "We still sit according to constituency and how well you did at the ballot box and not according to party blocks."

That reflected an "element of culture to dilute the tribalism that often goes into parliaments", he said.

How does Tynwald differ from the UK?

Watterson said: "The one thing that's most misunderstood about the Isle of Man arrangement is the power - or lack of - of the chief minister."

In the UK voters know who their prime minister will be, since she or he leads her or his party.

This is not the case on the Isle of Man.

A chief minister is elected solely by their political peers, shortly after a general election.

Watterson said: "All the chief minister here does is hire and fire the other ministers - they can't direct, they don't have a monopoly on the direction of travel."

Where the UK has a two-house system, whereby the House of Commons and the House of Lords both make laws, carry out government scrutiny, and debate issues, the Isle of Man operates under a tri-cameral system.

It is made up of the House of Keys and the Legislative Council, which as well as sitting separately in their own chambers come together as one body.

The House of Keys has 24 members

Is party politics something young people want?

The legal voting age on the Isle of Man is 16, reduced from 18 in 2006.

A Youth Select Committee, formed in October 2023, has members aged between 15 and 24.

Member Alexandra Cowley, 18, said: "If you do have a party-based system then to put through policies is easier if everyone's on the same page and it's easier to try and hold people to account."

But she said that also meant a lack of "representing local people on an independent level".

Fellow member David Cowin, 21, agreed, adding that independent members could "better represent local issues that individual people care about".

But "those national issues, in particular those big infrastructure projects for example that can't be solved within a five-year administration, can be left to the wayside".

The Youth Select Committee is in its second term