The next 24 hours may see late scrambling and chicanery as potential Chief Minister candidates decide whether to throw their hat into the ring.
Anyone wishing to stand in October 13’s House of Keys vote for a new Chief Minister must submit their policy statement to the Clerk of Tynwald’s office by noon tomorrow (October 6).
Those papers will be distributed to members first, before being published generally later in the afternoon.
Of course, there is nothing to prevent a potential Chief Minister candidate from announcing their intentions prior to that.
So far, only Onchan MHK Rob Callister has released a manifesto, publicly, and even he did so with a caveat that he would make a final decision about standing today (October 5), once he had gauged support levels.
In the aftermath of the General Election, current Chief Minister Alfred Cannan did not rule out a bid; nor did Treasury Minister Chris Thomas when he was questioned.
Jane Poole-Wilson, Deputy Chief Minister in the last administration, has been widely touted. She has been keeping a low profile since the election.
Health Minister Clare Christian has been suggested as a possibility. A relatively new member of the Council of Ministers, some believe she has not been tarnished by the same level of dissatisfaction with government performance over the past five years.
Others have mooted that someone from the 15 new MHKs could either play the role of king or queen-maker or even put themselves forward as a candidate.
For now, we have to wait and see who will stand and how MHKs will vote.
Unless there is only one candidate, over the next week you can expect to hear whispers of deals being struck in the corridors of power.
