{{Short description|Chief Minister of the Isle of Man (born 1947)}} {{For-text|the sociolinguist|Allan Bell (sociolinguist)|the classical composer|Allan Gordon Bell|people with similar names|Alan Bell}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} {{Use British English|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = The Honourable |name = Allan Bell |honorific_suffix = CBE MHK |image = Alan Bell 2007.jpg |office = Chief Minister of the Isle of Man |monarch = Elizabeth II |lieutenant_governor = Adam Wood<br>Richard Gozney |term_start = 11 October 2011 |term_end = 4 October 2016 |predecessor = Tony Brown |successor = Howard Quayle |office1 = Minister for Economic Development |monarch1 = Elizabeth II |governor1 = |term_start1 = 2010 |term_end1 = 2011 |predecessor1 = ''New position'' |successor1 = John Shimmin |office2 = Minister for the Treasury |monarch2 = Elizabeth II |governor2 = |term_start2 = 2001 |term_end2 = 2010 |predecessor2 = Richard Corkill |successor2 = Anne Craine |office3 = Minister for Home Affairs |monarch3 = Elizabeth II |governor3 = |term_start3 = 1996 |term_end3 = 2001 |predecessor3 = Richard Corkill |successor3 = Phil Braidwood |birth_name = Allan Robert Bell |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|6|20|df=y}} |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |party = Independent |other_party = Mec Vannin (before 1984) }} '''Allan Robert Bell''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (born 20 June 1947) is a Manx politician who was the Chief Minister of the Isle of Man from 2011 until 2016, having been elected to that position on 11 October 2011. He was an Independent Member of the House of Keys for Ramsey from 1984 to September 2016, and served in several different ministerial roles. He was replaced as Chief Minister on 4 October 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.isleofman.com/News/details/80839/new-chief-minister-of-the-isle-of-man|title=New Chief Minister of the Isle of Man|date=10 April 2016|access-date=17 December 2017|archive-date=14 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814135320/http://www.isleofman.com/News/details/80839/new-chief-minister-of-the-isle-of-man|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Bell was educated at Ramsey Grammar School. He was involved in banking and clothing retail prior to entering politics.<ref name=oecd>{{cite web|title=Allan Bell|url=http://www.oecd.org/speaker/0,3438,en_21571361_41723666_42949391_1_1_1_1,00.html|website=OECD|access-date=22 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606102144/http://www.oecd.org/speaker/0%2C3438%2Cen_21571361_41723666_42949391_1_1_1_1%2C00.html|archive-date=6 June 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Political career== Bell was first elected to the House of Keys as an Independent representing Ramsey in a 1984 by-election and continued as such until 22 September 2016 when he did not seek re-election. He had first, unsuccessfully contested Ramsey in 1976 as a candidate for Manx nationalist party Mec Vannin.<ref name=tynprof>{{cite web|title=Hon Allan Robert BELL MHK (Ramsey)|url=http://www.tynwald.org.im/memoff/member/Pages/BellAR.aspx|website=Tynwald|access-date=22 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150711203735/http://www.tynwald.org.im/memoff/member/Pages/BellAR.aspx|archive-date=11 July 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>
He served in numerous ministerial roles including Minister for Tourism and Transport, from 1986 to 1990, Minister of Tourism, Leisure and Transport, from 1990 to 1994, Minister of Industry, from 1991 to 1996, Minister of Home Affairs, from 1996 to 2001, Minister of the Treasury, from 2001 to 2010 and was the first Minister for Economic Development, from 2010 to 2011.
He was named as a central figure<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.im/media/622139/section17part1.pdf |title=Part G |website=gov.im |access-date=May 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231194200/https://www.gov.im/media/622139/section17part1.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2018}}</ref> in the "corruption of the system of government"<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.gov.im/media/622157/section20part1.pdf |title=Part J |website=gov.im |access-date=May 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181231194157/https://www.gov.im/media/622157/section20part1.pdf |archive-date=December 31, 2018}}</ref> identified by Mount Murray Commission of Inquiry<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.im/about-the-government/departments/cabinet-office/information-archive/mount-murray-report/|title=Isle of Man Government – Mount Murray Report|website=gov.im|access-date=2018-12-31}}</ref> (2002–2003), referring to his time as Tourism Minister in the early 1990s.
===Chief Minister=== On 11 October 2011, Bell was elected Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, winning a clear majority over Liberal Vannin opponent Peter Karran. Bell was proposed by Eddie Teare and seconded by Laurence Skelly.<ref name="elect">{{cite news|title=Allan Bell is elected the Isle of Man's chief minister|date=11 October 2011|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>
While Bell was Chief Minister in 2013, the government signed a deal involving a £1.3 million bail-out loan and property purchase for the hotel chain Sefton Group which Bell stated was a "small but decisive part" in "support[ing] the economy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/govt-bail-out-struggling-sefton-group-1-5597293|title=Govt bail out struggling Sefton Group|work=Isle of Man Today|last=Darbyshire|first=Adrian|date=19 April 2013|access-date=26 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531005913/http://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/isle-of-man-news/govt-bail-out-struggling-sefton-group-1-5597293|archive-date=31 May 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> After a legal review found the deal to be "outside of government powers", Bell initially refused to accept the proffered resignation of the economic development minister, John Shimmin.<ref name="BBC 17 June 2014">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-27885859|title=Hotel deal 'beyond power of Isle of Man government'|last=Vannin|first=Ellan|date=17 June 2014|publisher=BBC|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>
Bell was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2016 Birthday Honours for public service to the Isle of Man.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61608|supp=y|page=B26|date=11 June 2016}}</ref>
==Government positions== *Minister of Tourism and Transport, 1986–90 *Minister of Tourism, Leisure and Transport, 1990–94 *Minister of Industry, 1991–96 *Minister of Home Affairs, 1996–2001 *Minister of the Treasury, 2001–10 *Minister for Economic Development, 2010–11 *Chief Minister of the Isle of Man, 2011–2016
==Personal life== In a 2015 interview with ''The Guardian'', Bell stated that "People know that I’m gay. I’ve never made a secret of it, but no one has ever asked me."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/05/isle-of-man-legalise-gay-marriage|title=Isle of Man leader draws line under 'dark days' and aims to legalise gay marriage|last=Pidd|first=Helen|date=5 October 2015|website=The Guardian|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>
==Retirement== On 1 August 2016, Bell announced that he was retiring after 37 years within Manx politics.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.three.fm/news/isle-of-man-news/chief-minister-steps-down-after-32-years-in-politics/|title=Chief Minister steps down after 32 years in politics|date=28 July 2016|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>
==See also== *List of LGBT heads of government *List of the first LGBT holders of political offices
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Tony Brown}} {{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|Chief Minister of the Isle of Man}}|years=2011–16}} {{s-aft|after=Howard Quayle}} {{s-end}}
{{House of Keys 2001–2006}} {{House of Keys 2006–2011}} {{House of Keys 2011–2016}} {{Head of Government of the Isle of Man}} {{Manx Treasury Minister}} {{BOT and Crown Dependency heads of governments}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Allan}} Category:1947 births Category:Chief ministers of the Isle of Man Category:Living people Category:British gay politicians Category:Members of the House of Keys 1981–1986 Category:Members of the House of Keys 1986–1991 Category:Members of the House of Keys 1991–1996 Category:Members of the House of Keys 1996–2001 Category:Members of the House of Keys 2001–2006 Category:Members of the House of Keys 2006–2011 Category:Members of the House of Keys 2011–2016 Category:LGBTQ heads of government Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:20th-century British LGBTQ people Category:21st-century British LGBTQ people Category:Independent politicians in the Isle of Man Category:Mec Vannin politicians Category:Manx LGBTQ people