Speaker of the House of Keys

Isle of Man
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the Isle of Man
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The Speaker of the House of Keys (Manx: Loayreyder yn Chiare as Feed) is the principal officer of the House of Keys, the lower house of the Isle of Man legislature. The speaker is elected from the membership of the House at its first sitting after an election. He is responsible for controlling the procedure of the House and for authoritative interpretation of its standing orders. He sets the business of the House and authorises the order of business of the House for each sitting. The speaker uses the letters SHK after his name.

The speaker is not able to speak on debates in the House, but is able to vote. If a vote is tied, convention dictates he votes to continue debate or retain the status quo.

All speakers from 1750 to 1898 were either members of the Moore or Taubman families or married into them. Until 1866, the Keys was unelected.

Before the House was elected in 1867 the role of speaker was assumed to be for life. Thus when Edward Moore Gawne resigned in 1867, he was the first speaker not to die in office. Since then, although it is possible to resign the office, or nowadays even to fail to be re-elected, all speakers died in office until Sir Charles Kerruish in 1990. Since then none have died in office.

Following the British tradition, Speakers dress in the same official dress as that of the Speaker of the British House of Commons, that being a black silk damask gold lace robe with full bottom wig for state occasions and a black silk gown for normal day business. The current robe was donated by the Speaker of the House of Commons in 1966 to commemorate the centenary of popular elections to the House of Keys.

On 27 September 2016, Juan Watterson was elected as Speaker, the youngest person to hold the office at 36 years 85 days.

Chairmen of the House of the Keys

• Major Richard Stevenson, c.1649–c.1660
• Edward Christian, c.1660–1673
• Charles Christian, 1673–1697
• Captain Thomas Stevenson, 1697–1704
• Captain John Stevenson, 1704–1738
• Captain Thomas Heywood, 1738–1758

Speakers of the House of Keys

• Sir George Moore, 1758–1780
• John Taubman, 1780–1799
• Major John Taubman, 1799–1823
• Colonel Mark Wilks FRS, 1823–1831
• General Alexander John Goldie, 1831–1844
• Colonel John Taubman Goldie-Taubman, 1844–1847
• John Moore, 1847–1854
• Edward Moore Gawne, 1854–1867
• Sir John Senhouse Goldie-Taubman JP, 1867–1898
• Arthur William Moore CVO M.A. JP, 1898–1909
• Dalrymple Maitland, 1909–1919
• John Robert Kerruish, 1919
• Sir George Frederick Clucas CBE JP M.A., 1919–1937
• Sir Joseph Davidson Qualtrough CBE, 1937–1960
• Henry Knowles Corlett OBE CP, 1960–1962
• Sir Henry Charles Kerruish OBE CP, 1962–1990
• George Victor Harris Kneale CBE M.A., 1990–1991
• James Crookall Cain FCA, 1991–1996
• Noel Quayle Cringle, 1996–2000
• John David Qualtrough Cannan, 2000–2001
• Tony Brown, 2001–2006
• Steve Rodan, 2006–2016
• Juan Watterson FCA, 2016-present

Recent elections