MHK behind assisted dying bill bid to stand down

The man behind the Isle of Man Assisted Dying Bill has said he will step down from politics at September's House of Keys general election.

Ramsey MHK Alex Allinson brought forward the plans, which were recently halted by the UK Lord Chancellor until key protections are added, as a private member's bill.

First elected in 2016, Allinson has served in three ministerial positions, most recently as treasury minister - a role from which he was removed in January.

Confirming his intention to retire from Manx politics, Allinson said that while he was "proud of what we have achieved" over the past decade, it was time to "step back and encourage new voices and ideas".

After serving eight years on the town's local authority, Allinson was elected to represent Ramsey in the House of Keys in both 2016 and 2021.

A GP by profession, he successfully guided the Isle of Man's Abortion Reform Bill - which was also a private member's bill - through the House of Keys during his first term in office.

Appointed to the Council of Ministers as education minister during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 under Howard Quayle, he moved to the enterprise department the following year as part of Alfred Cannan's administration.

He became treasury minister in 2022 after the resignation of David Ashford from the position in the wake of the Rosalind Ranson employment tribunal.

However, he was removed from that position in January, a month before the delivery of the 2026-27 budget, with Chief Minister Alfred Cannan citing a need for a "reset to be undertaken" in the government's approach to the economy.

Announcing his intention to stand down, Allinson said: "I entered politics to achieve change and make our island a better place to live and I am proud of what we have achieved over the last 10 years."

He said while he was proud of what had been achieved, he was "also acutely aware that many of our key priorities such as affordable housing, locally accessible health services, infrastructure investment in the town and improved public facilities have been delayed and stalled".

Allinson said he would use his final three months as an MHK to "complete the programmes we have already started" and to "ensure our Assisted Dying Bill gets Royal Assent and help set out a progressive agenda for the future".

The House of Keys general election will take place on 24 September.

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