The Isle of Man’s oldest political party is to celebrate its 100th anniversary this year.

The Manx Labour Party is marking the anniversary with a series of roadshow events around the island.

They begin with an ’anti-austerity roadshow’ tonight (Thursday) at the Peel Centenary Centre at 7.30pm.

Party leader David Cretney said: ’There has been more growth in members of the MLP in the last year than I can remember all the time I have been involved which is over 30 years.

’People are interested in what we stand for in terms of equality, fairness and inclusivity and want to see a government that is forward thinking and caring.’

The party is currently fighting for the creation of the role of an older people’s champion.

Meals on wheels, free television licences and prescription charges are some of the issues why the party believes older people need a representative.

Mr Cretney has said: ’I see a champion for older people and the lonely as someone who would work across departments to raise issues on behalf of the largest growing demographic of our population.

’And should not just be seen as interested in Department of Health and Social Care issues although it is very likely that such matters will feature high on their agenda.’

The Manx Labour Party was founded in September 1918 and grew out of the Workers’ Union, started in 1917 by Alfred J Teare, a printer for the Isle of Man Times.

It was described by historian John Belchem as ’more Methodist than Marxist’ due to its origins of ’rural, nonconformist, temperance opposition to the urban-based, drink-supported lobby allied to the insular establishment’.

In the 1919 election, the party won four seats in the House of Keys, Alfred Teare in South Douglas, J R Corrin in Rushen, Christopher Shimmin in Peel and Gerald Bridson in Middle.

History was made by the party when Marion Shimmin was the first woman elected to the Keys in 1933, winning her deceased husband’s seat.

Until 1946, the MLP held between four and seven seats in each election but, despite the UK Labour Party winning the 1945 general election, a similarly socialist-styled manifesto in the island returned only two seats.

The party never regained the success it had before the Second World War, despite occasional success in the 50s and 60s.

In 2016, the Manx Labour Party fielded three candidates in the Manx general election, with none of them winning a seat.

The party returned two candidates in more recent years, Onchan’s Peter Karran and David Cretney, who is now an MLC and served as a minister for many years as an MHK.

Mr Karran started his own party in 2006, the Liberal Vannin Party, while Mr Cretney is the longest-serving member of Tynwald.

For more information, contact [email protected] or find Manx Labour Party on Facebook.