By Isle of Wight Observer
Island residents have had their say on the future direction of the Isle of Wight Council through the ballot box. There was a clear desire for change, away from the Independent/Alliance group which has led the Council for the last 5 years. The leader, Phil Jordan, lost his seat and Ian Stephens, who was, recently, deputy leader, also lost. Unfortunately, my Conservative colleagues were unable to persuade voters to put their trust in them to take our Council forward. Instead, Reform UK are now in effective control with 19 of 39 councillors. No other political group has more than 4 councillors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all outgoing councillors, regardless of party or political grouping, for their dedication over the last 5 years or more.
Although Reform ran a largely national campaign about small boat crossings, grooming gangs, and kicking Starmer out of Downing Street, they now have to manage local bin collections, poorly co-ordinated road closures, sewage discharges into the sea, and local primary school debt. I suspect some of their newly-elected contingent might be somewhat surprised to find these issues on their to-do list; however they must now step up and deliver.
While I am troubled by some of what I have seen and heard from Reform UK locally and nationally, I hope they succeed on resolving the most pressing issues for our Island. I have written to all newly elected councillors in the East Wight, offering my support dealing with local concerns.
The first issue I will be discussing with the new leader of the Council, when they are elected at the first Full Council meeting on May 27, is the forthcoming ferries round-table meetings, convened by the Department for Transport. The Isle of Wight Council has been too quiet on perhaps the most pressing local issue. Extortionate prices affect the economic, health, and social well-being of every Islander. I will be calling on the new leader to step up and form part of the strong and united voice of Island elected representatives. I will also be asking the new leader to stop transferring vulnerable patients from St Mary’s to care homes on the mainland, dividing families. It is the Council which co-ordinates this and, regardless of the local pressures, it must stop. I have already written direct to the Minister for Care, Stephen Kinnock, for specific Island support, and the new Council leader must step up on day one.