What does it mean to be the Isle of Man's chief minister?

The newly elected members of the House of Keys are all set to vote for the Isle of Man's next chief minister on Tuesday - with the privilege of leading the island over the next five years.

There are two candidates vying for the top job in Manx politics, newcomer Kirrie Jenkins and Chris Thomas, who has more than a decade of experience as an MHK.

They will vote for their preferred candidate in a special House of Keys sitting.

But what does it mean to be the island's chief minister (CM) and what does their job involve?

The CM is the leader of the Manx government, setting the powerbase's overall direction and being ultimately accountable for how policies on the ground are delivered.

However, unlike the UK prime minister, the Isle of Man's political system means the role is more dependent on collective government.

Above all, the CM decides which MHKs will head up the island's eight departments. They are:

• Cabinet Office
• Education, Sport and Culture
• Enterprise
• Environment, Food and Agriculture
• Health and Social Care
• Home Affairs
• Infrastructure
• Treasury

In the previous administration there was also a "minister without portfolio" but it is currently unclear whether this position will remain.

The CM sets the government's overall political direction but cannot make every decision personally.

While they select ministers and coordinate their work, they cannot override each minister's statutory responsibility.

They can promote policies, budgets and major projects but they cannot bypass Tynwald's legislative and spending approval.

They are the public face and leader of government but they cannot govern without parliamentary scrutiny or political support.

Having a CM is a relatively new part of Manx democracy, with Tynwald considered the longest continuous parliament in the world.

The modern ministerial setup was introduced in 1985, with the first CM, Sir Miles Walker, elected in 1986.

He remains the only person in Manx history to carry out two consecutive terms in the top job.

Before 1986, the position was known as the chairman of the Executive Council.

Here is a full list of every chief minister so far:

• Sir Miles Walker (1986 - 1996)
• Donald Gelling (1996 - 2001)
• Richard Corkill (2001 - 2004)
• Donald Gelling (2004 - 2006)
• Tony Brown (2006 - 2011)
• Allan Bell (2011 - 2016)
• Howard Quayle (2016 - 2021)
• Alfred Cannan (2021 - 2026)

MHKs are now poised to vote for their preferred candidate and the successful hopeful will need to secure 13 votes to win.

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