Isle of Man election: What happens now our MHKs have been elected?

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House of Keys
Image caption,

The House of Keys will chose a new chief minister in the second week of October

Twenty-four MHKs have been chosen to represent the people of the Isle of Man after Thursday's general election.

Four government ministers and a further three MHKs were ousted in a dramatic night on the island.

A new government will now be formed in the coming weeks to lead the Manx nation over the next five years.

Eleven newly elected MHKs will first complete an induction and be sworn in for their term of office before the first sitting of the new House of Keys.

Now that the election is done and dusted though, what will follow?

What happens first?

New members have to take an oath pledging loyalty to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the island's head of state, who is formally known on the island as the Lord of Mann.

Those who do not want to swear the oath can choose to take the affirmation of allegiance at the swearing-in ceremony.

Both can be taken in English or Manx.

The ceremony is overseen by the highest judge in the land, First Deemster Andrew Corlett.

Chief Registrar Stuart Quayle also has the special role of bringing in Liber Juramentorum, or Book of Oaths, which each new MHK must sign.

Image caption,

All new MHKs must take part in a swearing-in ceremony

Who will be the chief minister?

Members will have two weeks after they are sworn in to consider who to back for the top job in Manx politics.

This is an extra seven days compared with previous elections; an extension was backed by the previous administration.

Nominations will be put forward at a sitting on 12 October, after which the vote will take place.

Once a successor is chosen it will mark the end of Howard Quayle's term of office.

During the last chief minister election, Mr Quayle came up against Alfred Cannan and Kate Beecroft in a three-way race for the top job.

In that contest the Legislative Council tipped the balance by voting en masse for Mr Quayle.

But another change in election procedures brought in during the last administration means Tynwald's unelected upper branch will have no involvement in choosing the next chief minister.

Image caption,

The Legislative Council will no longer be able to vote for the chief minister

How will government be formed?

Once elected, the new chief minister will chose eight other members of Tynwald to became ministers to head up the government.

They will lead the departments of education, sport and culture; enterprise; environment, food and agriculture; health and social care; home affairs; infrastructure; the cabinet office; and treasury.

Collectively they will make up the Council of Ministers, the executive body of the Isle of Man government.

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