Andre Risha
Candidate for Middle · Announced 11 April 2026
Senior surgeon at Noble's Hospital with more than 15 years practising on the Isle of Man. Announced candidacy on 11 April 2026 for the Middle constituency at the 2026 House of Keys general election (24 September 2026). Frames his campaign around urgent reform of the Manx NHS, sustainable public finances, and a housing market that works for young Manx residents rather than speculators. Has no prior political experience; stands without party affiliation.
Political Compass Position
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📜AI Manifesto AnalysisAI-generated summary from all available evidence sources
AI-generated summary from all available evidence sources
Andre Risha - Key Manifesto Themes for Middle (2026)
Andre Risha is a senior surgeon at Noble's Hospital with more than 15 years' experience on the Isle of Man. He announced his candidacy for the Middle constituency on 11 April 2026, standing without party affiliation. His campaign is built on professional authority in healthcare combined with a strong fiscal-responsibility message, positioning him as a reformist outsider with clinical credibility.
- Urgent NHS Reform: His defining issue. Risha is campaigning from inside the service for what he describes as 'urgent reforms within the Manx NHS.' His 15+ years at Noble's give him unusual credibility on this - few candidates can speak to healthcare delivery from a senior clinician's chair. Specific policy proposals are expected as the campaign develops.
- Housing Market Reform: A notably interventionist position. Risha wants to restrict speculative purchasing and incentivise first-time buyers, explicitly referencing Channel Islands models as a template (likely meaning Jersey and Guernsey's property-control regimes). This is firmer than most recent Manx housing rhetoric and signals a willingness to legislate on residency and property ownership.
- Reforming 'Mad March' Spending: Targets a specific dysfunction in Manx Government finance - the end-of-year rush to spend underused budgets so that next year's allocation isn't reduced. Risha wants to remove the disincentive for prudent underspend.
- Controlling Bureaucratic Growth: Wants to rein in the expansion in public-sector headcount and administrative overhead that has grown during and after the pandemic.
- Tourism VAT Relief: Proposes expanding the current 5% VAT relief - presently limited to accommodation - across a broader slice of the tourism industry, arguing this will grow sector revenue and contribute to public finances.
- Good Governance: His overarching theme. Ties the individual policies together under the argument that protecting the Island's long-term financial security requires better stewardship now.
Risha is a first-time candidate with no prior political record, running in Middle - a two-seat rural constituency currently held by incumbents of established standing. His appeal rests on clinical authority on the NHS issue (a dominant concern in Manx polling) and a pragmatic, fiscally-conservative reform agenda. A fuller manifesto is expected closer to the 24 September 2026 election.
Policy Positions
Economically right-of-centre framing: emphasis on public-spending discipline, controlling the size of government, and protecting long-term financial security. Not anti-state — he is an NHS surgeon — but wary of waste and bureaucratic drift. [Manx Radio]
Risha's defining issue. As a serving senior surgeon at Noble's, he's campaigning for 'urgent reforms within the Manx NHS' — informed by 15+ years inside the service. Specific proposals not yet published, but his professional authority on healthcare delivery is his primary credential with voters. [Manx Radio announcement, 11 Apr 2026]
Wants to restrict speculative property purchasing on the Isle of Man and incentivise first-time buyers, explicitly referencing Channel Islands models (e.g. Jersey and Guernsey residency/property control regimes) as a template. This is a markedly more interventionist position than most recent Manx housing rhetoric. [Manx Radio candidate profile]
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While not a headline theme, his housing position — restricting speculative purchasing in favour of Manx first-time buyers — implies support for tighter controls on non-resident property investment. No stated position on work-permit policy. [implied from housing stance]
Tackles cost of living indirectly via tourism and business-growth measures rather than direct support. Wants VAT relief expanded beyond the current 5% accommodation-only band to incentivise the wider tourism sector. Argues stronger tourism revenue helps fund public services without raising taxes on residents. [Manx Radio]
Calls for reform of 'Mad March' spending — the civil service pattern where departments rush to spend remaining budget before year-end because underspend is penalised in the following year's allocation. Also wants to control the growth in public-sector headcount and bureaucracy that expanded during and after the pandemic. Frames this as a fiscal-responsibility issue: 'If we are to protect our financial security for future generations, action has to be taken now to bring about good governance.' [Manx Radio candidate profile, 11 Apr 2026]
Questions for Andre
AI-generated questions based on the candidate's manifesto, policy positions, public statements, and gaps in their platform — grounded in Isle of Man data.
Election Questions
— challenging stance & manifesto gapsYou call for urgent NHS reform—what specific changes would you prioritise at Noble's Hospital, and how would you fund them within the current Manx government budget constraints?
Your housing proposals reference Channel Islands models. Which specific policies would you adopt, and how would you enforce restrictions on speculative buying without deterring essential investment or falling foul of IoM property law?
You advocate reforming 'Mad March' departmental spending. Which departments or programmes do you believe are most in need of reform, and what evidence supports your view that these changes would not harm public services?
How would you manage the potential loss of government revenue from extending VAT relief to a broader range of tourism services, especially given the Isle of Man's reliance on indirect taxation?
What measures would you take to ensure that controlling post-pandemic bureaucratic expansion does not result in job losses or reduced public service delivery?
As a non-incumbent, how would you work within Tynwald's consensus-driven, party-light system to deliver the significant reforms you propose?
You have not addressed key issues such as NHS waiting times, Steam Packet service reliability, or digital economy development. What are your positions on these, and how would you prioritise them against your stated manifesto themes?
Can you provide examples from your professional experience where you have successfully led organisational reform or managed budgets, and how would these experiences translate into effective political leadership?
All scores, summaries, and questions are AI-generated from public evidence.They do not imply wrongdoing.
Evidence Manifest
Every source used in the AI analysis, linked and timestamped.
Surgeon announces he's standing in General Election
Manx RadioAndre Risha, senior surgeon at Noble's Hospital with 15+ years on the Island, declares for Middle constituency. Headline pledges: urgent NHS reform, housing market reform, 'Mad March' spending reform, controlling public-sector bureaucratic growth, and expanding tourism VAT relief. Quote: 'If we are to protect our financial security for future generations, action has to be taken now to bring about good governance.'
Andre Risha — Manx Radio Election 2026 Candidate Profile
Manx RadioOfficial Manx Radio candidate profile page. Confirms profession (senior surgeon, Noble's Hospital), policy priorities (NHS reform, housing, Mad March spending, bureaucratic growth, tourism VAT), and contact details (andre.risha@gov.im, 07624 451466).