Youngest ever MHK says election win is 'surreal'

A teenager who became the youngest ever person to be elected to the House of Keys has described winning a seat as "surreal".

Daniel Davison, 18, won a seat in Glenfaba and Peel on Thursday.

The House of Keys is the elected chamber of the Isle of Man's parliament. Its 24 members are known as MHKs.

Davison said he stood because the decisions made in the next five years will "land on my generation the hardest".

Davison said: "I was adamant I would be top three. But getting second is brilliant."

Each of the island's 12 constituencies elect two MHKs - so finishing second was enough to win him a seat.

The new Glenfaba and Peel MHK said his age was the first thing he told voters on the campaign trail and he said it cut both ways.

"Within the whole campaign process I had both negativity and positivity about my age, so I just wanted to address it."

Davison, who decided to stand last year, said past governments had not been thinking far enough ahead.

"I never like to criticise past governments, but I think what they were doing was being very reactive to problems, not proactive. They weren't looking ahead."

Describing himself as "very driven", Davison set up his own barbershop business whilst studying for his GCSE's, and built it up to 50 clients a week.

"I can't say I've managed massive corporations," he said. "But when I want something, I tend to get it done."

He pointed out he is one of 15 new MHKs, all of whom will be learning the job.

"It's being open to that learning, taking criticism, and understanding that you need to keep carrying on."

"I want to try and be someone that people look at when they have a problem," he said. "Someone that people look at when a big decision needs to be made."

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