By Isle of Wight Observer
In the nine months since becoming an MP, one issue has come up more than any other: the ferries.
For many, what should be a routine service has become increasingly unreliable, too expensive, and a source of frustration – even despair.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard stories from constituents of missed medical appointments, families unable to visit each other on or off the Island due to unaffordable fares, disruptions, delays and cancellations. This isn’t just about inconvenience; it’s about a breakdown in an essential service. We’ve been let down for too long.
That’s why, as MP for Isle of Wight West, I’ve been working to ensure the Island’s ferries are firmly on this government’s radar. The cost, unreliability, and poor service is unfairly disadvantaging us all. And I particularly worry about the impact it’s having on our young people and their chances in life.
It’s easy to feel like no one is doing anything about it – it’s certainly been ignored or pushed into the long grass by successive Conservative governments. But this Labour government is already listening.
Since July, I’ve built good relationships in Westminster, including with the Secretary of State for Transport, because we need ministers to grasp how serious this is. That’s why this week’s roundtable on ferries, hosted by the Maritime Minister, is already a step in the right direction.
No-one’s pretending there are any quick solutions, but collaboration will be key to finding long term and workable solutions to better the Island’s connectivity. And it’s equally encouraging that there’s been a united front from Islanders and politicians of different political party affiliations (and none) that action is needed.
So while there has been some encouraging progress, we still have a long way to go. But I am working tirelessly on behalf of constituents to make sure we hold the ferry companies and government to account. So please know: even if I’m not publicly speaking about the ferries every day in the House of Commons chamber, or if there appears to be little in the news, you can be assured someone is hearing about it from me.