By Carole Dennett
The Isle of Wight Council has been branded ‘dysfunctional’ in a damning report published this week by independent consultant, Richard Penn.
The report, which was commissioned by senior officers to examine governance and behaviour at County Hall, paints a stark picture of a local authority which is rife with poor councillor behaviour and disrespect and poor relationships between councillors and officers.
Mr Penn’s findings highlight a culture of confrontation among a small but vocal group of councillors, whose actions he says have eroded confidence and distracted from the essential work of delivering local services. The report also identifies some weaknesses in officer understanding of the role of councillors, and calls for stronger leadership, mutual respect and a strong focus on collaboration and accountability.
Similar concerns are also raised in a letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government last month, which warned the council about member behaviour and signalled that government intervention could follow if improvements are not made.
Cllrs Phil Jordan, Ed Blake and Andrew Garratt, respectively leader of the IW Council and the Alliance Group, Conservative Group leader, and council deputy leader and leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, issued a joint statement accepting the report in full. They described it as “an incredibly powerful, and sobering message” and pledged to support its recommendations.
“We must accept the existence of the problems, or they will never be solved,” the leaders said. “Failure to deal with the issues in Mr Penn’s report will put the very existence of the Council at risk.”
The report makes a number of recommendations, including the creation of a Standards Committee to address behavioural and organisational failings, which could ‘name and shame’ councillors who are guilty of poor behaviour. The group leaders said they would support this move, describing it as a necessary ‘reset’ for the council, and failing to do so “could well be a step on what currently seems a short path to the loss of Island-based democracy”.
“We do not seek to provide excuses for the findings or to pass the buck,” they said. “All those who are part of County Hall, whether councillor or officer, must take heed.”
The Penn Report and government letter refer to a full council meeting on September 17 at which poor councillor behaviour was witnessed. This preceded two stormy meetings at which one councillor was left in tears and accusations of racism were made in the chamber.
The leaders concluded: “Only by accepting the recommendations and changing how we operate can the council fulfil its role of serving the residents, businesses and community of the Island.”
You can read the full report and letter from the government via iw.observer/penn-report and iw.observer/behaviour-letter.