Onchan MHK Rob Callister has been confirmed as the island’s new Minister for Health and Social Care.

This comes as Chief Minister Alf Cannan is shuffling his deck as he embarks on a mini reshuffle of his cabinet.

For Mr Callister, an MHK since 2016, this marks his first foray into ministerial office, having previously been a backbench MHK and chairman of Manx Utilities.

He enters the DHSC at a time where the fallout and continuing revelations from the Dr Rosalind Ranson tribunal are still damaging the department and the role of Manx Care, which is barely 18 months old, has come under scrutiny from islanders for the burden it places on the taxpayer.

To make room for Mr Callister, Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper has been moved to the Department for Enterprise, in what could be seen as something of a demotion from one of the island’s most senior political positions.

No other ministers have been moved in this latest mini reshuffle, which sees Mr Cannan appoint his first DfE Minister since Glenfaba and Peel MHK Tim Crookall resigned unexpectedly in July.

Mr Cannan had been filling in as Enterprise Minister ever since.

While there are no other new ministerial appointments, Mr Cannan’s fellow Ayre and Michael MHK Tim Johnston has been chosen to replace Mr Callister at Manx Utilities. However, that appointment is subject to Tynwald approval.

For Mr Johnston, who was only elected in 2021, this marks not only a rapid rise to a top job, albeit sitting outside the Council of Ministers, but also a baptism of fire, coming in at a time where Manx Utilities is due to be given a large loan from the taxpayer to keep down electricity prices this winter.

He also comes in at a time where relations between Manx Utilities and the private company Isle of Man Energy (formerly Manx Gas) have remained evidently strained.

Mr Johnston’s inbox will also include questions over what steps will be taken to secure future water supplies, how the island will transition to net zero, the need to replace Pulrose Power Station within the decade and, most importantly, how all of this will be paid for.

The latest changes mark yet more tinkering in CoMin. The first casualty of the Cannan administration was that of David Ashford, who resigned as treasury minister in the aftermath of the Dr Rosalind Ranson tribunal, during which he was criticised.

Following that, Dr Alex Allinson, who stood against Mr Cannan for Chief Minister, found himself promoted from DfE to the Treasury.

The next change saw a former minister from the Quayle administration brought back into the fold as Douglas Central MHK Chris Thomas was appointed to the Department of Infrastructure, with the then minister Mr Crookall moving to DfE.

Finally it was Mr Crookall’s resignation, which shocked many coming on the morning of the final Tynwald sitting of the last parliamentary session in July, that has led to the changes this time around.