By Isle of Wight Observer
The Government confirmed on Thursday that Isle of Wight Council elections will go ahead on May 7, ending fears they might be delayed due to ongoing local government reorganisation. Elections have been postponed in 29 areas where delays were requested, but none of the councils within the proposed Hampshire & Solent
Mayoral Authority sought a pause. However, the first election for the new Mayor has been pushed back to May 2028, to allow time for the reorganisation of some mainland councils to take effect.
Anyone elected to the new authority will receive increased allowances, after councillors voted on Wednesday night to raise the basic allowance from £10,124 to £10,800. All councillors are entitled to receive this payment, plus travel allowances for Island journeys and full expenses for off Island travel; however IW West MP, Richard Quigley, does not draw the allowances. Committee chairmen receive an additional 80 per cent, taking their total to £19,440, while the council leader receives an extra 1.6 times the basic allowance, totalling £28,080. Other roles such as leaders of groups with more than five members also get enhanced payments.
During the debate, councillors spoke about the demanding nature of the role and the time they spend on it, though none referenced the recent Penn Report, which criticised poor behaviour and a lack of respect by some members. The rise was approved by 20 votes to nine, with three abstentions.
IW East MP, Joe Robertson, welcomed confirmation that the elections will proceed, saying that they should not have been postponed last year. He added: “Islanders need to elect a strong team of councillors in just over 3 months’ time who can work together and navigate us through this really difficult period. That means hard negotiation with Government to secure our Island’s future.”
Mal Butler