By Press Release
More than half of Island households will be under food or energy stress this winter, according to two Isle of Wight councillors.
However, on Wednesday evening Cllrs Richard Quigley and Michael Lilley’s motions urging the authority to declare a cost of living emergency and put in place a clear package of support and help for Island residents were not debated.
The extraordinary council meeting, which lasted three hours and was due to discuss the issues, ran out of time after an hour and a half was spent mostly bickering over whether public questions should be allowed, condolences on the death of the Queen and nominations to committees, followed by an inconclusive debate about the draft Island Planning Strategy.
Cllr Lilley said after the meeting: “This just discredits us in the eyes of the public. The most important item on that agenda was the cost of living crisis and what happens over the next six months. These issues cannot now be debated until at least November, when we will be in the midst of winter.”
The motion submitted by Cllr Lilley had called for all 39 councillors to work together on the cost of living emergency for the benefit of the Island and its residents!