A Manx businesswoman has announced her intention to stand in the forthcoming Douglas South by-election.

Both House of Keys seats in the constituency have been left vacant following the death in February of Home Affairs Minister Bill Malarkey and this week’s announcement by Kate Costain that she is standing down.

A date for the by-election could be announced next week.

Already two candidates have come forward, the latest being local businesswoman Claire Christian.

The founder of fashion store Claire Christian Couture was the winner of the Innovation & Independent Thinking award at Isle of Man Newspapers’ Awards for Excellence last year.

During the Covid pandemic she used her involvement with the ’Local Companies Isle of Man’ Facebook page to broaden the government’s support to other sectors.

As a result she was invited to sit as a volunteer on the Business Agency Board for the Department of Enterprise, as the sector champion for small businesses.

She has lived in the Douglas South constituency for six years.

’I have always had an interest in politics, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, when businesses went into lockdown, I fought for the interests of our workers from the small to medium business and self-employed sectors who make up the lifeblood of the Isle of Man,’ she said.

’I would like to continue my endeavours with a key focus on the interests of the Douglas South constituents at a national level in the House of Keys.’

She said the Manx government had done an ’exemplary’ job of getting the island through the Covid-19 pandemic.

But she said the next period before the general election was crucial to ensure decisions taken are appropriate for short and long term economic recovery and stimulus.

’Tynwald needs someone with a depth of understanding of the local economy to get us out of this economic crisis; strong, decisive and empathetic leadership is needed now more than ever if Manx jobs and opportunities are to be protected and created,’ she said.

Ian-James Clanton aka HM Sole announced his intention to stand as a candidate in March.