Kate Costain

Kathleen Joan "Kate" Costain (formerly Beecroft) is a Manx politician who is a former Leader of the Liberal Vannin Party and was a Member of the House of Keys for Douglas South from 2011 to 2020. She changed her surname from Beecroft to Costain in 2019.[1]

Kate Beecroft
MHK
Leader of the Liberal Vannin Party
Assumed office
February 2014
Preceded byPeter Karran
Member of the House of Keys for Douglas South
In office
2011–2020
LeaderPeter Karran (until 2014)
Preceded byBill Malarkey
Personal details
BornIsle of Man
Political partyLiberal Vannin Party

Career

Costain was born on the Isle of Man and worked as an accountant before entering politics.

She stood unsuccessfully for the Liberal Vannin Party in Middle in the 2006 Manx general election but later became a Braddan Commissioner from 2007 to 2011. Beecroft served as Chairman of the Liberal Vannin Party from 2008 to 2009.[2] She stood unsuccessfully again in Douglas East in a by-election in 2010, coming second and only seven votes behind Chris Robertshaw who won.[3]

In the 2011 Manx general election Beecroft was elected for the Liberal Vannin Party in Douglas South, becoming one of three Liberal Vannin MHKs.

In February 2014, Peter Karran, the Leader of the Liberal Vannin Party, renounced his leadership in favour of Beecroft. Karran said that it "was time for a change."[4] She once revealed aspirations to bring more women into the House of Keys and to field a Liberal Vannin candidate in every constituency in the 2016 Manx general election.[5] At the 2016 election Liberal Vannin initially fielded only 4 candidates in the 12 constituencies, with one of those resigning from the party on the day of the election.[6]

Beecroft was Minister for Health and Social Care from 2016 until 2018. She was asked by the Chief Minister to resign as minister in January 2018 in controversial circumstances after two political members had resigned from her Department in 2017 and one LibVan MHK had resigned from the party.

She resigned as an MHK in July 2020.[7]

Electoral performance

House of Keys elections

Date of election Constituency Party Votes  % of votes Result
2006 general election Middle Liberal Vannin Party 548 28.5 Not elected
2010 by-election Douglas East Liberal Vannin Party 381 25.3 Not elected
2011 general election Douglas South Liberal Vannin Party 1,191 29.5 Elected
2016 general election Douglas South Liberal Vannin Party 1,134 36.0 Elected

References
  1. LibVan leader's name change, Manx Independent, 9 November 2019
  2. "Kate Beecroft MHK". Liberal Vannin Party. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  3. "Kathleen Joan BEECROFT MHK (Douglas South)". Tynwald - Parliament of the Isle of Man. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  4. Vannin, Ellan (24 February 2014). "Kate Beecroft succeeds Peter Karran as Liberal Vannin leader". BBC News. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  5. Darbyshire, Adrian. "New Liberal Vannin leader Kate Beecroft says party is getting results". IOM Today. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  6. Manx Radio. "Ayres resigns from Lib Van". Manx Radio. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  7. Tynwald Court Hansard for 21 July 2020
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