The funeral of former long-time Tynwald member Eddie Lowey takes place later today, prompting a temporary suspension of the House of Keys sitting to allow members to attend.

The former Rushen MHK and Legislative Council member passed away last month at the age of 86.

His funeral service will be held at The Abbey Church in Ballasalla at 12pm.

Following the completion of questions, today's House of Keys sitting will be suspended to enable members to attend Mr. Lowey's funeral, with proceedings resuming at 2:30pm.

You can follow our live blog of today’s House of Keys sitting HERE.

Mr. Lowey, a lifelong member of the Manx Labour Party, had an illustrious political career spanning nearly 40 years before his retirement in 2013.

He was first elected to parliament as MHK for Rushen in a by-election in 1975, and subsequently retained the seat in the general elections of 1976 and 1981 before being elevated to the Legislative Council.

Throughout his long service, Mr. Lowey held several key positions, including Minister of Home Affairs from 1986 to 1991, Minister of Industry from 1992 to 1996, and roles within the departments of Education and Tourism and Leisure, as well as the Harbour Board, Tourist Board, and Arts Council.

In his final years as an MLC, he served as chairman of the Manx Electricity Authority.

Beyond politics, Mr. Lowey was well-known for his passion for football.

He was a dedicated member of Malew AFC, living just around the corner from the club and fulfilling nearly every role within it for more than 50 years.

The Clagh Vane outfit described him as a ‘club legend’ in a Facebook post following the announcement of his death.

Tributes were also paid at the Manx Labour Party’s annual general meeting last month.

Fellow MLP member David Cretney said: ‘Eddie was a friend to many and an influential member of Tynwald.’