MHK Bill Shimmins has announced he won’t be standing in the Keys general election in September.

He said: ’After much consideration, I have decided not to stand for the House of Keys election in September.

’My priority at this stage is to spend more time assisting my family. It has been a great privilege to represent the people of Middle and the island.’

It means that both the sitting MHKs for Middle - which encompasses Marown, Braddan and Santon - will not seek re-election.

Two candidates have so far come forward for the two seats.

They are Keiran Hannifin, a part-time cleaner, graphic designer and illustrator, and David Fowler, a self-employed landscape gardener who has stood in two previous elections but failed to win a seat.

Meanwhile, architect Steve Crowther has declared he will be standing for Arbory, Castletown and Malew constituency.

He stood in the same consituency at the 2016 election but failed to win.

In his statement, Mr Crowther said he believes he could ’drive the new green transition, encouraging further diversification in the economy’.

Mr Crowther runs his own architectural practice and has most recently worked on a new hybrid eco-house system.