Two-times former chairman of Lonan Commissioners Nigel Dobson is to contest this September’s general election in the constituencey of Garff.
Mr Dobson will be standing as an independent candidate, having stood twice against sitting MHK Steve Rodan, who is the new Tynwald President.
He said: ‘I have thought long and hard about this, not least because I will not be on the island for the elections. But hopefully my record of public service over the past nine years will be in my favour.’
His son’s wedding in Hanoi, coupled with his mother’s birthday will take him off island at the critical time around the election, but he said it was a family event which he could not, and would not want to miss.
‘I will miss critical parts of the campaign and not knock on as many doors as I would like, so the “no visit, no vote” people will be disappointed in my campaign,’ he said.
The next five years will be challenging for the island, he said, with the implications of the vote for Britain to leave the EU not yet clear, pressure on the public purse, an ageing population and young people not returning to the island after university.
Mr Dobson is involved in a multitude of organisations around Lonan, including the Laxey and Lonan Heritage Trust, of which he is a director and treasurer, the Laxey Sports and Social Trust, of which he is a director.
He is president of Onchan Rotary CLub and current chairman of Garff parish commissioners.
In 2012, Mr Dobson, who is a publican, was cleared by a court of any wrongdoing after he failed to disclose a drink driving conviction on his electoral nomination form for the 2011 election.
Speaking at the time, he told the Manx Independent: ‘I did not lie and I did not knowingly make a false statement; the court has now agreed with that.’
Referring to his candidacy, Mr Dobson added: ‘I have spent all of my time on the island living and working in Onchan and Baldrine.
‘I am not here for two weeks or so in September, but I am here for the rest of my days.’