With the General Election to the House of Keys in September 2026 approaching, people across the Isle of Man will be considering whether to stand for election to one of the 24 seats. Manx politics is very different from that of the UK and US. Elections, and the Keys, are dominated by Independent candidates who are not associated with a political party.

This distinctive feature can work in favour of candidates standing for the Keys for the first time. Unlike in larger neighbours, there is no process of party approval. If a legally qualified candidate wishes to stand, and can secure enough signatures from fellow citizens, they will be on the ballot. Our work on Women in Manx Politics showed that while some candidates began their planning an entire General Election in advance, others decided within months of the General Election that they were going to stand. 

Deciding to stand for the Keys is a big decision. Our interviews with MHKs, and those who had decided not to stand, found that they drew upon a very disparate range of sources of support in making this decision. Family, naturally; friends, commonly; but in sharp contrast to the UK, members of political parties were not significant. In the absence of the support of political parties, how do potential candidates find out what they need to know to inform this crucial decision?

One way is to come along to our event on “Should I stand for the House of Keys?” at 6pm on 22 April 2026. This will be available live, either by joining us in person at the Studio Theatre at Ballakameen High School; or online via Zoom. We will be covering key issues like:

• What do MHKs do?
• Myths about getting to be an MHK.
• Deciding to run for the Keys.
• Some tips on how to run for the Keys.

For those not able to attend on the day, the presentation will be posted online on the YouTube channel of the Centre for Law, Criminology and Social Justice Research at Oxford Brookes University.

You are welcome to join us in person on the day. If you would like to attend online, please contact pwedge@brookes.ac.uk in advance to receive the Zoom link to the event.