 Cannel was a councillor for the Derby Ward of Douglas Town Council from 1992 to '95, serving as Chairman of the Public Health and Housing Committee (1993–94) and sitting on various other committees and groups.She also worked for the Isle of Man branch of Friends of the Earth.In 1996 she was elected as an MHK, and since that time has been Chairman of the Isle of Man Water Authority from 2002 to '04, and then Chairman of the Planning Committee (2004-2005), amongst many other roles.