The Isle of Man Government, an Independant Manx parliamentary system

The Isle of Man The Isle of Man Isle of Man Latest News Isle of Man History Manx Government Manx Legislature Offshore Low Tax Banking on Isle of Man Manx Property Manx Sport Isle of Man TT Isle of Man Tourism Isle of Man Hotels Isle of Man Ferries Manx Cats Isle of Man Maps Isle of Man Towns Isle of Man Flags Isle of Man Coins Useful Contacts Isle of Man Plus... Isle of Man IN DEPTH Isle of Man Site Map Isle of Man Articles Other Low Tax Islands Bahamas Cayman Islands

The Isle of Man Government The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom. It is a self-governing crown dependency which has its own laws, courts, and government A crown dependency is in possession of the Crown in Right of the United Kingdom, in contrary to overseas territories or colonies of the UK. More crown dependencies are the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. The crown dependencies are not a part of the UK, neither are they a part of the EU and they are all members of the British-Irish Council. As they are possessions of the British Crown they are not independent nations in their own right. This means that the UK parliament has the ultimate authority to pass legislation affecting the islands. The name of the Isle of Man’s parliament is Tynwald and it is said to be the world’s oldest parliament in continuous existence, dating all the way back to 979. Presumably, the oldest parliament is Iceland’s Althing, dating back to 930. In Viking times, Tynwald was an open air meeting at midsummer. There the inhabitants of the island would come to learn about the laws, seek justice, or to advocate their views. This tradition continued throughout the viking rule, which lasted from 800 AD to 1266 AD, then continued under Scottish rule to the British rule around 1405 AD. The island's first English king was Sir John Stanley of Lancashire. In the 16th century the title of King was replaced by Lord and in 1765 it became Lord of Man as it has been ever since. So the Lord of Man is the head of State, currently Elizabeth II, and is represented by the island’s Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor is technically the executive head of the government, but in recent years this role has taken the form of vice-regal since most of his duties are now undertaken by Tynwald Government Departments or the Council of Ministers. The UK takes care of the island's external and defence affairs, and retains paramount power to legislate for the Island. Tynwald, the island’s own parliament has authority over almost all domestic matters. Some notable differences in the laws between the UK and the Isle of Man are the legitimate ages for driving (16 instead of 17) and buying cigarettes (18 not 16). Pubs are allowed to be open 24 hours a day.

Today the Isle of Man’s Government consists of the House of Keys and the Legislative Council. The House of Keys counts 24 members, elected by eligible voters in a general election at least held every 5 years. The Legislative Council consists of the President of Tynwald, Attorney General, Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, 3 ex officio and 8 members elected by the House of Keys. These two bodies may sit separately or together as in the Tynwald Chamber as the Tynwald court, to consider pieces of legislation, which, when passed into law, are known as ‘Acts of Tynwald’. The executive branch of government is the Council of Ministers, which consists of members of Tynwald. The head of the council is the Chief Minister. There is no Manx citizenship. This is covered by UK law. This means that the Manx people are considered and classed as British citizens. Though political parties do exist, most Manx politicians stand for election as independents. The influence of the political parties is not nearly as strong as this is the case in the UK. One political party, Mec Vannin, advocates the establishment of a sovereign republic. There’s also a Manx Labour Party, (which holds no connection to the UK Labour Party). There used to be a Manx National Party and a Manx Communist Party. The main political issues include the island’s relationship with the finance sector, housing prices and shortages and the Manx language. The Isle of Man is divided into six administrative districts. They are called sheadings, or as the Manx say: sheadin. The word ‘sheading’ is said to be Norse for ‘ship division’. This could be due to the fact that each district was believed to be responsible for creating a pre-established number of warships. Others say it could also be a Celtic word, meaning ‘sixth part’. The six sheadings are: Ayre, Glenfaba, Garff, Michael, Rushen and Middle. They form the basis of some constituencies, each with their own Coroner, not to be confused with the Coroner for Inquests

[CaRP] Can't open cache file. The Weather Channel: Your Local Weather Outlook--Douglas, Isle Of Man Local Weather Outlook for Douglas, Isle Of Man. Since 1982, The Weather Channel has brought timely weather information to the world. Now via our Local Weather Outlook RSS feed we can keep you up-to-date on the latest weather affecting the cities of your choice including: current local conditions, local Doppler radar, pollen trends, regional video forecasts with expert commentary, and extended forecast details delivered right to your desktop. The Weather Channel...Bringing Weather To Life • Current Weather Conditions In Douglas, Isle Of Man 21 Aug 2009 at 1:15pm Partly Cloudy, and 61 ° F. For more details? • Your Local Doppler Radar 21 Aug 2009 at 1:15pm This map shows the location and intensity of precipitation in your area. The color of the precipi... • Pollen Trend for Douglas, Isle Of Man 21 Aug 2009 at 1:15pm N/A. View complete PollenCast? • Video: Your Regional Weather Forecast 21 Aug 2009 at 1:15pm Watch what the experts at The Weather Channel® have to say about the weather trends in your area. • ADV: Upgrade to weather.com Gold! 21 Aug 2009 at 1:15pm Get advanced storm tracking maps and weather for 10 cities in one-click, all with no ads! Start ... • Your Weekend Forecast For Douglas, Isle Of Man 21 Aug 2009 at 1:15pm Chance of Precipitation: Fri: 60% / Sat: 60% / Sun: 30%. For complete forecast details... • Your 10-Day Forecast for Douglas, Isle Of Man 21 Aug 2009 at 1:15pm Tonight: Low 55°F.---- Sat: Mostly Cloudy & High 62°F / Low 59°F.---- Sun: Rain / Wind & High 64°...