Lawrie Hooper
Lawrie Lee Hooper is a Welsh-born Manx politician who is the leader of Liberal Vannin Party and former Minister for Health and Social Care. He has represented Ramsey in the House of Keys since 2016.
Early life
Hooper was born in Cardiff, Wales and grew up in Ramsey, Isle of Man. He studied at Ramsey Grammar School and Keele University.He trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers on the Isle of Man with a focus on Audit. He then spent four years working as a Manager at Crowe Morgan.
Political career
Hooper stood unsuccessfully for the House of Keys as an independent candidate in 2011. He served as a Ramsey Town Commissioner between April 2012 and September 2016, including as chairman for the 2016/17 term until his election to the House of Keys in 2016 as a Liberal Vannin candidate.Hooper became leader of the Liberal Vannin Party in August 2020.
In 2023, Hooper brought forward a Private Member's Bill that aimed to ensure only elected members could vote in the Tynwald, thereby removing the ex officio vote of the Bishop of Sodor and Man; the Isle Of Man Constitution Bill 2023 is set to go before the House of Keys in late 2025.
Hooper has held two ministerial roles during his tenure as an MHK, including being the Minister for Enterprise and the Minister for Health and Social Care. He resigned his position as Minister for Health and Social Care in October 2024, attacking Chief Minister Alfred Cannan and claiming that he wishes to 'privatize our health service', something Hooper stated he could not support.