Who will be the Isle of Man's next Chief Minister? The names in the frame after election night

After the drama of election night, attention now turns to the question on everyone's lips: who will be the Isle of Man's next Chief Minister?

And with 15 new MHKs entering the House of Keys, the challenge will not end with choosing who sits at the head of government. The successful candidate will also have to build a Council of Ministers from a dramatically changed House.

The newly elected MHKs will be sworn in at the Keys on Tuesday, September 29, before returning that afternoon to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

The next major milestone comes on October 6, when candidates for Chief Minister must publish their policy proposals.

A week later, on October 13, the Keys will meet to nominate the next Chief Minister. A candidate needs the support of at least 13 MHKs.

So, who could put their name forward?

The first declaration of election night came in Onchan, where Rob Callister retained his seat.

Asked whether he would consider standing for Chief Minister, Mr Callister did not rule himself out.

‘I want to see which names come forward,’ he said. ‘If certain names come forward, I'll happily get behind them.

‘If other people come forward and I don't feel they are the ones who can truly deliver for the people of the Isle of Man, I will go for it.’

He said voters wanted ‘change’, ‘delivery’ and ‘a government that works united for the people of the Isle of Man’.

Mr Callister said issues including housing, social care and healthcare would have to be tackled, adding: ‘It's about delivery, delivery, delivery, delivery.’

Health and Social Care Minister Claire Christian also left the door open after retaining her Douglas South seat.

Asked about the possibility of becoming Chief Minister, she said: ‘At this point I have to see what the results are across the island.’

She added: ‘No, I've never said “no”.’

Ms Christian said she had invested significant passion in healthcare and would like to continue the work already started.

She also said she wanted to see the governance review of Manx Care brought to fruition.

A first for the island would occur if a woman were to become Chief Minister.

Deputy Chief Minister Jane Poole-Wilson topped the poll in Middle, but was typically cautious when asked about the top job.

‘I think it's fair to see who is in the House of Keys and what collective priority list everybody is going to coalesce around,’ she said.

‘We really have to see all of the results come in.’

The current Chief Minister survived a closely fought contest in Ayre and Michael, finishing second behind newcomer Stephen Broad.

Asked whether he would seek another term, Mr Cannan said he first needed to see ‘which direction the Keys is shaping up to go’.

He said he would put forward a platform of government reform and seek to deliver three pieces of legislation promised during the campaign.

‘I think that we can do a lot better and hopefully I can help play a part in shaping that moving forward,’ he said.

Treasury Minister Chris Thomas was also asked directly about the possibility after securing a fourth term in Douglas Central.

He did not rule himself out, saying he would ‘look forward to talking with colleagues’ and discussing the direction of the new government.

Asked specifically whether he was ruling out the Chief Minister's job, his answer was simple: ‘No.’

For Mr Thomas, however, the policies appear to be more important than the individual occupying the top job.

‘People don't matter so much as the direction of the policy,’ he said.

He called for clarity on issues including housing, energy, education, training and apprenticeships, as well as sea services.

The next few weeks will therefore be about more than one vote.

The Chief Minister must secure 13 votes in the Keys, before selecting Ministers from among Tynwald members to form the Council of Ministers. The law allows for up to nine Ministers.

That means negotiations, alliances and policy priorities will all matter as the new House settles into place.

The candidates' written policy proposals will be published on October 6, with the Chief Minister hustings and questions forming part of the process before the October 13 vote.

After an election which has brought 15 new faces into the Keys, the next chapter of Manx politics is already beginning.