Alfred Cannan has kept open the possibility of seeking a second term as Chief Minister after being re-elected in Ayre and Michael.
Speaking to Manx.News after Thursday’s General Election, the current Chief Minister stopped short of confirming whether he would put his name forward again, saying he first needed to assess the make-up and direction of the new House of Keys.
“It’s been a long night in here. I haven’t even had a chance to digest what else is happening,” he said when asked whether he would put his “hat into the ring” for Chief Minister again.
Cannan said his immediate focus was on understanding “which direction the Keys is shaping up to go”.
The Chief Minister was returned to the Keys in Ayre and Michael, although he did not top the poll. He said the large field of candidates had resulted in a split vote, and thanked all those who had taken part in the campaign.
Cannan said he now wanted to focus on delivering the commitments contained in his manifesto, including a programme of government reform.
“I will certainly be putting a platform of government reform on the table,” he said, referring to three key pieces of legislation he had promised during the election campaign.
He said he hoped other newly elected members would also have campaigned on reform or raised concerns about how government is functioning.
“I think that we can do a lot better,” he said, adding that he hoped he could “help play a part in shaping that moving forward”.
For now, Cannan’s comments leave the question of whether he will seek another term as Chief Minister open. The newly elected House of Keys will ultimately determine who takes on the role for the new administration.
After his return to the House of Keys in Douglas Central, Treasury Minister Chris Thomas declined to rule out making a bid for the Chief Minister position.
The House of Keys is scheduled to elect a Chief Minister at an October 13 sitting.
The first formal business for the new Keys gets underway tomorrow, with the swearing in of members in the morning, followed by a sitting in the afternoon to elect a new Speaker. The Speaker in the previous House of Keys was Juan Watterson, but he was chosen as the new President of Tynwald in July and is no longer an MHK.
