Allan Bell elected Isle of Man's Chief Minister
- Published in Monthly News
No major changes on the island's political landscape as independents retain majority of seats at the Manx General Election held during September 2011.
No major changes on the island's political landscape as independents retain majority of seats at the Manx General Election held during September 2011.
Traditionally, the Isle of Man's political system is not dominated by party politics since most Manx politicians stand for election as independent candidates rather than as members of political parties.
The island's largest political party, the Liberal Vannin Party, increased its share of the vote from 4% to 12.5% and won 3 seats out of 24 in the House of Keys, the island's parliament.
On 11 October, independent Member of the House of Keys (MHK) Allan Bell was formally declared Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, a job he will hold for the next five years.
His predecessor, Chief Minister Tony Brown, retired from politics after 35 years in public service.
Incoming Chief Minister Alan Bell, aged 64, was first elected to the House of Keys in 1984 and is the longest serving Member in the chamber. Over the past two decades he has held a number of ministerial roles including Minister for Economic Development from 2001 to 2010.
In his inaugural address, the new Chief Minister pledged "to rebalance the government's budget" and "make changes that will secure the future of the Isle of Man as a competitive and responsible centre for international business."
