By Carole Dennett
The Government has appointed Brian Johnson, former Chief Executive of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA), as the independent chairman of the newly created Cross‑Solent Transport Group – a move intended to drive long‑awaited and much‑needed improvements to ferry services between the Isle of Wight and the mainland.
Mr Johnson, who led the MCA from 2018 to 2022 and received a CBE in 2023 for services to the maritime industry, has a reputation for modernisation, disciplined thinking and a willingness to confront entrenched problems. During his MCA tenure he pushed for digital transformation, improved seafarer training and championed decarbonisation, arguing in a 2022 interview with Maritime UK that the sector needed “disciplined thinking”, stronger partnerships and the courage to make concrete decisions rather than circling the same problems.
In an interview with Civil Service World after receiving his CBE, Mr Johnson set out the leadership principles that guide him – principles Islanders will hope he brings to our ferry services, often criticised for high fares, ageing vessels and unreliable timetables. “Be open and honest,” he said. “Speak honestly and don’t be afraid of saying difficult things or addressing hard problems.” He added that leaders must “be humble”, stressing that such roles “are never about the individual – they are about team performance.” His third principle was: “Do the right thing. If you are being pushed to do what you know in your heart is wrong, challenge it.”
The new Cross‑Solent Group follows the Prime Minister’s admission in an answer to a question from East Wight MP Joe Robertson that ferry services “simply have not been good enough”. Although many Islanders remain sceptical after years of reviews and promises that delivered little real change, this is the first time the Government has directly appointed an anybody to investigate the issues with ferry services to and from the Isle of Wight.
Isle of Wight MP Richard Quigley welcomed the appointment as a “major step forward”, saying: “Appointing Brian, someone with a proven and successful track record in maritime regulation, shows that the government is listening to the Island’s concerns.”
Mr Johnson will clearly have the chance to speak honestly about the problems with cross-Solent ferry services – and there will be undoubtedly difficult things to say. Whether he will be able to find solutions to a public transport service in private ownership that remains completely unregulated remains to be seen.