Isle of Wight Conservatives: council spending “out of control”

The Isle of Wight Conservatives have accused the council of “out of control” spending following its recently announced 2025/26 budget.

County Hall’s largest opposition group said the ruling “independent and Green Party alliance” was “frittering away substantial reserves” and had “failed to work effectively” in Islanders’ interests for the last four years.

The Alliance administration’s budget plans include a 4.99 per cent council tax rise, £1.5 million in savings, a £11.1 million increase in Adult Social Care spending, an extra £4.7 million for Children’s Services and £13 million worth of new capital investment.

A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Conservatives said decision-makers will “inherit a very poor financial position” following the council’s transition from a cabinet to committee system of governance in May this year.

They said: “When the Conservative administration lost control of the council in May 2021, the total council Financial Reserves stood at over £11.7 million.

“Over the life of the current administration, they have used virtually all the available reserves and wiped out the Covid Reserves put in place by the previous Conservative administration, spent all the Transformational Reserve Fund, and reduced the General Reserves to within £1.5 million of the minimum level the council is required to maintain.”

The spokesperson said the current cabinet has run with a structural deficit – spending more than its income – and are projecting the structural deficit will continue and increase over the next few years.

They added: “The current leader of the council seems to believe that we will be rescued by a financial bonus from devolution and that it offers a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; many of us think the pot of gold story is a myth!”

Making the case for the Alliance’s budget last week, council leader Phil Jordan said: “Despite the challenging financial climate, our commitment to protecting and improving our community remains steadfast. We are dedicated to ensuring our community continues to thrive, even in the face of economic pressures.

“The council continues to advocate for fair funding for the Island from the government. By maximising spend from minimal funding, keeping charges down, investing in capital schemes, balancing the budget responsibly, using reserves wisely, and re-structuring where possible, we are working hard to minimise any adverse impacts on our residents.”