New ministers on assigned departments: In their own words

From backbencher MHKs to members of CoMin

Three backbench MHKs have taken up positions within the Council of Ministers. 

It was announced earlier today (25 November) that the chief minister has reshuffled his cabinet following weeks of political uncertainty. 

Douglas South MHK Claire Christian has taken charge of the Department of Health and Social Care following Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper's decision to resign in October.

Rushen MHK Michelle Haywood will now head up the Department of Infrastructure.

And it's a return to the top table for Douglas North MHK David Ashford who will oversee the Cabinet Office.

The changes have seen Glenfaba and Peel MHK Kate Lord-Brennan step down to 'turn [her] time and attention more fully to commitments and constituency needs as an MHK' and former DoI Minister Tim Crookall become a 'Minister Without Portfolio'.

The creation of this role sees the Council of Ministers increase from nine to 10 members for the first time since 2014.

It means Alfred Cannan's administration has now seen a combination of 26 different ministers in the various roles (Cannan in five, Crookall in four, Hooper in three, Ashford in two, and Barber, Caine, Callister, Christian, Edge, Haywood, Johnston, Lord-Brennan, Poole-Wilson and Thomas in one role each apiece).

It also sees some previously outspoken backbenchers head into the fold.

DAVID ASHFORD

Douglas North MHK David Ashford was first elected in 2016 and now re-joins CoMin to oversee the Cabinet Office.

He has previously served as health minister and most recently as treasury minister before his resignation in 2022.

Ramsey MHK Alex Allinson stepped into Mr Ashford's shoes in the latter - and has remained in post since then.

The move followed the fall-out from the results of former medical director Dr Rosalind Ranson's employment tribunal which found she was unfairly dismissed whilst Mr Ashford was in post as DHSC Minister.

He'd previously denied any involvement in that decision but some MHKs had called for Mr Ashford to step down - something he initially told Manx Radio he wasn't considering.

He insisted he acted appropriately 'at all times' during his role.

Since leaving government the Douglas North member has submitted several questions in Tynwald, quizzing subsequent ministers on everything from health-related matters to electric scooters.

He has also served as Chair of the Housing and Communities Board - it's not yet clear if he'll retain this responsibility. 

However, one role Mr Ashford is keeping is his political position within the Department of Health and Social Care.

He and Justice and Home Affairs Minister Jane Poole-Wilson are joining the department as support to Ms Christian, something Alfred Cannan has described as 'vital' to solving the issues facing health.

Mr Ashford has not been as vocal against the Cannan government as his new colleagues and supported the chief minister in a recent vote of no confidence.

But he has openly stated the Island needs to look at its tax strategy to avoid reserves being depleted, saying he's 'really worried' about the direction the fund has been going in.

CLAIRE CHRISTIAN

Douglas South member Claire Christian was first elected in a 2020 by-election and joins CoMin for the first time in her political career to oversee the Island's health and social care services.

That's despite being a vocal critic of the Cannan administration - she was one of just six MHKs to vote in favour of the vote of no confidence in the chief minister one month ago.

She was joined by Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher and mover of the motion - Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Tim Glover - as well as Mr Hooper as the former DHSC minister.

In addition, Onchan MHK Julie Edge and Douglas Central's Chris Thomas also voiced their discontent.

Ms Edge and Mr Thomas have been working alongside Ms Christian for the last six months in a so-called "rebel alliance".

The trio formed the partnership to 'work together on an alternative policy direction' largely due to questions raised about the chief minister's leadership this year.

It has seen them generally all vote the same way and voice concerns over key issues as a unit.

Ms Christian has strongly critiqued the size of government, and housing provision - describing government as 'out of touch'.

She voted against the Budget this year alongside five others; has pushed for more transparency from government following an investigation into the sacking of previous health minister Rob Callister, and has said government needs to be honest with the public over what the 'rebel alliance' described as a 'financial gap' between the Budget and its Island Plan.

She also pushed for a Select Committee be established to review government’s handling of the Dr Rosalind Ranson case.

Ms Christian has held political memberships in departments prior to her promotion - the position she held for the longest time since being elected was within the Department of Education, Sport and Culture.

But she quit back in February, citing concern over policy direction and funding decisions made by those 'outside of the department'.

She told Manx Radio at the time she resigned before she was 'pushed' following the sacking of Julie Edge as education minister.

In terms of health, she's been a vocal opponent of cuts seen to MEDS (Manx Emergency Doctors Service) provision this year.

Manx Care has today said it's looking forward to working with the new health minister at 'an important time for the Island's health and social care provision'.

That's despite Ms Christian describing the healthcare body as 'holding a gun to the head of government' after it announced a series of cuts to its services just last month.

MICHELLE HAYWOOD

Rushen member Michelle Haywood was first elected in 2021 and joins CoMin for the first time in her political career to oversee the Island's infrastructure.

That's despite being particularly vocal about the department's lack of action on key issues in her constituency.

She has made the headlines in recent months for her campaign of 'guerilla gardening' to 'highlight the biggest potholes in Port St Mary High Street'.

So far she's planted daffodils and cyclamen in the highway and has previously vowed to install Christmas trees this festive season.

She told Manx Radio the move was because she was 'sick of em' (the DoI) not 'getting on with the detailed design for the rebuild of the High Street and the top end of Athol Street'.

Dr Haywood has also been vocal about the department's decision to scrap the number 28 bus route to Cregneash.

She said the DoI's insistence the service was no longer viable was 'not good enough'.

She has backed motions brought to Tynwald by Douglas East MHK Joney Faragher calling for members to support plans for a potential new bus station in Douglas and calling on the department to work up a detailed plan and bring it back to the court by December this year.

Ms Faragher said the new facility should be 'a priority'.

Dr Haywood successfully amended Ms Faragher's motion to stipulate that the scheme shouldn't be dependent on the completion of plans for the Lord Street Site.

Elsewhere, Dr Haywood has joined forced with her southern political colleagues on several key issues.

The four members collectively threatened not to back the Budget this year when the Southern Swimming Pool's future was called into question.

If all four had followed through in voting against the Pink Book, it would have been the highest number of members to reject a Budget in 30 years.

Before that, she waded into the debate regarding industrial relations at the Steam Packet Company, when the seafarers' union Nautilus claimed its members received notices of termination after refusing to sign new contracts of employment, just days before Christmas.

She said the move amounted to 'abhorrent behaviour'.

The Rushen MHK has also questioned whether government events like the Isle of Man Government Conference are the right place to be making key announcements about the Island's future.

COMIN

Alongside these three new ministers, several have remained in post:

• Chief Minister – Alfred Cannan
• Education, Sport and Culture Minister – Daphne Caine
• Enterprise Minister – Tim Johnston
• Environment, Food and Agriculture Minister - Clare Barber
• Home Affairs and Justice Minister – Jane Poole-Wilson
• Treasury Minister – Alex Allinson

Mrs Barber had previously ruled herself out of a job swap, saying she would be conflicted in the Department of Health and Social Care.

The only members of the House of Keys yet to take up ministerial roles are: Ann Corlett, Joney Faragher, Tim Glover, Sarah Maltby, Jason Moorhouse, Stu Peters, Andrew Smith, John Wannenburgh and Juan Watterson (Mr Watterson does however serve as Speaker of the House).