An Isle of Man election candidate has warned that a lengthy inquiry into the recent general election could distract the new government from tackling the island's pressing challenges.

Steve Crowther, who finished third in Arbory, Castletown and Malew with 1,251 votes, said he was concerned that a wider investigation arising from the legal challenge to the Onchan result could delay progress on key priorities.

His comments follow former minister Julie Edge's decision to challenge the Onchan election result in the High Court over concerns about the counting process.

Mr Crowther stressed that he fully accepted the result in his own constituency, where Kirrie Jenkins was elected with 1,839 votes and Jason Moorhouse secured the second seat with 1,481.

‘I want to be clear that I fully accept the election result in Arbory, Castletown and Malew,’ he said.

‘The people have spoken, and I sincerely wish our two elected MHKs every success in representing the constituency and helping to improve the island’s economy and public services.

‘There were some points around postal voting and the accuracy of the digital version of the voters register that I queried on the night, but these should not be interpreted as a challenge to the result.’

Mr Crowther acknowledged Ms Edge's right to pursue her concerns through the courts and said the outcome should not be prejudged.

‘Julie Edge is entitled to raise her concerns through the proper legal channels,’ he said.

‘I hope the court process and recount provide clear answers, and I would not prejudge their findings.’

However, he warned against allowing the challenge to develop into a wider investigation that could occupy significant government time.

‘My concern would be if this led to a lengthy, wide-ranging electoral inquiry that absorbed substantial time and attention from the new administration.’

Mr Crowther also questioned the pace of work on the new government's priorities, saying that nearly six weeks after the election there was still no clear shape to its programme for government.

‘The island's economy, for both business and particularly our young people, can't wait until January for Keys approval,’ he said.

Ms Edge has said she had ‘nowhere else to go’ but to challenge the Onchan result in court.

She claims 79 ballot papers were unaccounted for, candidates were given insufficient opportunity to request a recount and postal votes were opened without notice.

At a hearing on Thursday, the court agreed that a supervised recount should take place as soon as possible, potentially within seven to ten days.

The recount is to be conducted by Onchan deputy returning officer Jeremy Callin under the supervision of the chief registrar, with Ms Edge and her counting agent present.

Ms Edge said: ‘The integrity of the election process and democracy is fundamental.

‘It’s an unprecedented situation. Unfortunately I had nowhere else to go – this was the only option.’

The former education minister, first elected in Onchan in 2016, failed to secure a third term at the September 24 general election.