The final list of candidates for this year’s General Election has proved a record breaker in more ways than one.

There are 83 candidate entries across the island’s 12 constituencies, involving 82 individual candidates, as one person - Nigel Dunmore - is standing in both Garff and Ramsey.

Manx politics expert Peter Edge, originally from Ballasalla and now professor of law at Oxford Brookes University, has analysed this year’s Notice of Poll, highlighting the unusually large field and a significant rise in the number of women standing.

Professor Edge’s analysis counts the 83 candidacies listed on the Notice of Poll when comparing this year’s election with previous contests.

In his blog, he said: ‘With 83 candidates standing, this is a year in which the electorate have an unusually broad choice. At the last general election 65 candidates came forward, and in the one before that, 63. So a 28% rise in the number of candidates coming forward this time.

‘Indeed, it is a record number of candidates, with the next highest being the 73 of 1991 - one of the two General Elections held under an alternative electoral system, both of which had an unusually high number of candidates come forward.

‘We need to go back to 1976 to find the next highest number under the first past the post system with 71 candidates.’

Prof Edge also highlighted the number of female candidates standing in this year’s election.

‘Turning to gender, 26 women are standing, with at least one woman standing in every constituency,’ he said.

‘This is a record number of women candidates - the next highest being the 16 who came forward in 2021. In the 2021 election, women were 25% of the candidates, in this election 31%.

‘Viewed across the entire period for which women have been eligible to be MHKs, success rates for women and men tend to be very much the same, once the decision has been made to stand.

‘It is not unlikely we will see an increase on the number of women MHKs in 2026, even on the record number elected in 2021.’

Prof Edge also examined how many candidates were MHKs during the previous term.

‘Of these candidates, 15 are incumbents - that is, candidates who were MHKs in the same seat before the Keys were dissolved in August,’ he explained, ‘and who are seeking re-election.

‘So, 62% of MHKs in the last Tynwald have decided to run for re-election. This is not unusual in the Manx system - for instance this number was 79% in 2001, and 67% at the last election.’

Prof Edge also looked at the role of party politics in this year’s election.

‘Five political parties were registered to support candidates in this election,’ he said. ‘The Green Party has not fielded any candidates.

‘The Manx Labour Party, the only party to have contested every General Election since 1919, has fielded four. Liberal Vannin has fielded four. Transform Isle of Man has fielded two (both in the same constituency). The Change Movement has fielded five.

‘Combined, these 15 party candidates represent 18% of the candidates, and a similar percentage of the incumbents standing. But it is likely that the House of Keys will remain a chamber dominated by Independents.’