Who we are

The Home Affairs Minister, Hon. Adrian Earnshaw MHK, was appointed on August 11, 2008.

He is responsible for the political direction of the Department and all its divisions, including the Isle of Man Constabulary, Fire and Rescue, Prison and Probation services, Communications and Emergency Planning.

Since 2001, Mr Earnshaw has been the Member of the House of Keys for Onchan, and is a well-known former employee of the Isle of Man Bank.

He was previously Minister for Tourism and Leisure and also served on the Department of Local Government and the Environment, Department of Health and Social Securrity, Treasury and Whitley Council.

Mr Earnshaw, who is married to Norma and has two daughters Nicola and Amy, is a keen motorcyclist and regularly marshals at the TT and Manx Grand Prix.

Mr Earnshaw is assisted in his responsibilities at the Department of Home Affairs by Mr George Waft MLC and Mr Tim Crookall MHK.

Mr Waft has been a Member of Tynwald since 1991 when he was elected as MHK for Onchan. He had previously served 20 years on Onchan Commissioners. He is married to Lynn and they have a daughter, Jeanette, who is married to Helmut, and a grandson Albert.

Mr Waft attended Tynwald Street School in Douglas and Ballakermeen High Schoool and worked for 30 years as a psychiatric nurse at Ballamona Hospital, rising to the position of night superintendent. Prior to becoming a fulltime politican, he studied for a BSc Honours degree in Social Science from the Open University.

He has gained a wide experience of Government, serving as Chairman of the Civil Service Commission and Whitley Council for eight years and on various departments including Transport, Local Government and the Environment and Trade and Industry. He was a Member of Treasury from 2004-2006. Mr Waft has also served on various committees, including the Tynwald Standards and Members’ Interests Committee since 2003, Tynwald Honours Committee since 2004 and Tynwald Management Committee since 2003. He chairs the Overseas Aid Committee.

He is the author of the book Tynwald Street to Tynwald Hill, partly an autobiography and partly a guide to Manx politics.

Mr Crookall followed his great grandfather in becoming a Member of the House of Keys at the 2006 General Election. Arthur Binns Crookall was a well known Manx politician and benefactor from the 1920s. He built the Jane Crookall Maternity Hospital which was named after his wife.

However, Mr Crookall’s father Michael was in the Royal Air Force which resulted in the young Tim spending only 1971 at school on the Isle of Man. He was briefly at Peel Clothworkers and Ballakermeen High School before completing his education in England.

Mr Crookall has enjoyed a varied career, joining the Metropolitan Police in 1977, followed by the Bedfordshire Constabulary. He returned to the Isle of Man in 1984 initially to work as a psychiatric nursing assistant at Ballamona Hospital. He moved after two years to become Deputy Manager at the Aquadrome swimming pool in Douglas, before leaving to spend a year travelling the world with wife Carol. On their return Mr Crookall worked as a builder for 12 years, then briefly as a residential social worker and more recently as a postman prior to his election to the Keys.

Mr and Mrs Crookall have four children, Ben, Joe, Max and Breeshey.