Councillor Phil Jordan, who just 7 years ago had to give up his senior role on the Council following a drink drive conviction, has tonight (Wednesday) been made Leader of the Isle of Wight Council – but there has been a stark warning that the local authority is heading for bankruptcy under an Alliance administration.
Cllr Jordan secured his place as Leader thanks to a deciding vote by Councillor Claire Critchinson (as chair) after the Chamber was split 50/50, with Councillor Suzie Ellis and Cllr Jordan gaining 19 votes a piece – with Councillor Karl Love abstaining.
The vote was brought about by the resignation of Councillor Lora Peacey-Wilcox over pressures to stand aside, as previously reported by Island Echo.
It seems that many have forgotten Cllr Jordan’s 2016 conviction for drink driving – when he was Executive member for public protection – after he was caught behind the wheel of his Range Rover whilst twice the limit after attending a Council event.
Furthermore, Cllr Jordan was part of the administration that commissioned the troubled Cowes Floating Bridge – the same administration that then walked away from County Hall at the start of 2017. Many of the same councillors then found themselves back at County Hall under the ‘Alliance’ banner in 2021 – Cllr Jordan included.
As the current Cabinet Member for Transport & Infrastructure, Cllr Jordan has been heavily involved in the controversial Ryde Interchange scheme.
Phil Jordan now leads the Alliance group and has ruling control of County Hall, but Councillor John Medland of the Empowering Islanders group has publicly said that he believes the Isle of Wight Council is close to filling a Section 114 – a declaration of effective bankruptcy.
Cllr Medland fears that tonight’s vote was a ‘last chance’ to save the Council.
Under Cllr Jordan’s helm it is thought that the Alliance administration will not be looking to continue with improvements for the Island, at a time of a austere and testing fiscal climate. However, a new floating bridge is said to be in the pipeline…
He’s responsible for cleaning up the bus station!?! Finally someone who gets things done. Ryde owes him a big thank you.
You are joking of course, most of the people who actually live in Ryde voted against the so called interchange. Jordans a waste of space. Brown envelopes all round for the ones who voted for this drunk.
And still beat the Tories
“most of the people who actually live in Ryde voted against”
When did Ryde have a vote?
But I would like to see the results of a survey after it is finished. I know a vocal minority are scared of change, but I expect most people think it’s better now than before.
I do live in Ryde (I’m guessing you don’t) and its a massive improvement.
Spending millions and signing a death warrant for a pedestrian or two. Given that high proportion of population are elderly pedestrians and drivers the layout is appalling – lots distractions and limits looking ahead, busses parked in road, green carpet to nowhere were cyclists and scooter’s think it’s ok to do 30mph amoung people, kid’s and dogs. Was not thought out and locals not listened too ,no good looking nice but not safe or practical and will reduce footfall for Ryde as drivers avoid and either you can’t find you’re bus or have to get soaked walking up down.
No the government are with are money but wasted money as far as im concerned 10 million wasted this.Council have let this island go to the dogs as far as I’m concerned
Oh great a useless alcoholic running the island council.
Couldn’t make it up, what a farce a criminal leading the council when staff are dismissed for lesser offences. Think it’s time for me to leave the Island. Same equavalent home in East over £1000 less per yr council tax, no extortionate ferry fares and cheaper housing and higher wages. This council has and is destroying the Island. We were in much better situation with South Wight and Medina Borough.
Where is it £1000 less per year in the East? And with cheaper housing and higher wages! Where is this place?
Known as East Anglia. Suffolk band E just over £2000 Inc, IOW over £3000 Inc of town council and police plus extra for care.
House prices are about the same in Suffolk as Isle of Wight (£350k-370k). Council tax varies slightly throughout the counties. Band D is about £1500 in Suffolk and about £2000 on IoW. The average income is £36k in Suffolk and £32k on IoW. The differences aren’t that great but the crime rate is far lower in Suffolk. Contrary to a popular misconception, the crime rate on IoW is actually higher than the national average at 80 per 1000 people in 2022, but only 32 per 1000 people in Suffolk. Quite a big difference.
And most probably better in those place’s then the rock.
Bye bye then
Missing you already.
Absolute comedy gold for the iow Council again…. just get in coco the clown and were set to go…
The country voted for Boris, remember that?
Expect some will enjoy a celebratory drink, now the alliance of secrets are still in office.
Disgusting! But typical of politics on the island. Hey, what the hell…… let’s give a drunk driver the controls!
Probably only resigned in 2016 as wouldn’t be able to claim his travelling expenses.
If voting changed anything,they’d make it illegal
Oh well that’s the final nail in the coffin for the island. Not only do we have an incompetent council, we now have a convicted criminal in charge. Absolutely mind boggling, if you presented this as a comedy script to any TV channel, they would reject it as unrealistic and not at all funny. The last paragraph says it all really
“Under Cllr Jordan’s helm it is thought that the Alliance administration will not be looking to continue with improvements for the Island, at a time of a austere and testing fiscal climate. However, a new floating bridge is said to be in the pipeline” What a sick, sick joke and a slap in the face for locals.
Well as useless as IWC is, I guess there’s no harm in having a drunk driver steering it from now on
Horrible place to visit, alot of money for nothing. And what there is there we have much more on our mainland.
So do us all a favour and stay there, people like you are not wanted here.
It was a case of the worst of two evils. But who wanted a Conservative creeping in through the back door after they were kicked out. Lora should not have resigned .
The whole Council is a joke.
It’s a case of the blind leading the blind.
Sack the lot of them.
You could always put up for election if you feel you could do better.
Better than a tory, no matter what. Why did Love abstain? They represent their electorate, should vote .
I’m glad someone saw the light. Karl love is a complete incompetent. It’s a cowards way out to abstain. Sitting on the fence does the town he supposedly represents no good at all. If it all goes tits up he thinks his hands will be clean, what a joke of a man. Umbrella tree FA done, landslip FA done, Red Funnel FA done a fabulous portfolio.
He was a Tory
At least with a drunk in charge he will have a good excuse as to why they have got it wrong again
Total farce (well no surprise there they all are)……
No improvements for the island ????? Got that right especially with this load of numptys running it ,,,,,,,( into the ground)….
And as for a new floating heap,,,,,,,no thanks, we the cash cow’s can’t afford to support more CR- -……..
As well as paying for cuts in services….. through extortionate council tax !!!!!.
Electric car’s, computer systems , laptops, mobile phones etc etc etc….
Our wallets/purses are empty !!!!!!
A stark warning the council is heading for bankruptcy. that’s interesting ,i was led to believe that there was a few quid squirreled away for a rainy day in the councils coffers, where’s that gone? Abandon all hope who live here
Sooner the better. Hope that central government soon steps in and takes over as they have in Birmingham. We are paying two times as much for council tax as most other places in the country and all we get are abysmal services, dithering, and waste. This council stinks and it is rotten to the core.
These people are all too OLD. The council needs some youth and a new vision to save this island. The island is falling apart but most are too blind to see it.
Boycott this council it’s not fit for purpose
Agree, but we don’t want them too young, not with the cradle marks still on their arse.
OMG – how can someone who makes the decision to drive while drunk be an elected leader of the Council, once you make a decision like that you should never be allowed in a position of power.
Precisely and he he refused to even give a breath sample… Absolutel weasel…
The Tories should get used to being defeated. They won’t be around as a functioning political force for much longer.
So these fools have taken the council to the verge of bankruptcy but they still persist.
Thank god that the council will soon be taken over by central government and all of them will be exposed. Hopefully, the waste will be dealt with and we will get back to having good basic services instead of the council wasting our money on distractions.
Whilst berating Clr Jordan for having a drink drive conviction, let’s not forget the current unelected prime minister is a convicted criminal. As was the last but one PM.
It’ll be interesting to see if IE publishes this response as they didn’t publish my last comment.
Not wearing a seat belt hardly a criminal and even Boris, breaking lockdown rules ,again hardly a imprison able offence. Drink driving is a killer -fact.
Sunak also broke lockdown Rules. Rules they imposed on everyone else but couldn’t or wouldn’t keep to themselves. Covid was and is a killer. Fact
Disgusting lot. At least he be the only one that could organise a piss up. As most of them couldn’t close an umbrella.
Great a drunk leading our council, you could not make it up
Do all these numpties criticising everything the council does realise they could put themselves forward at election times, and if elected, could put all their perceived grievances to rest. It is so easy to rubbish everything from the safety of their keyboard but how many would do this job, you are all eligible so put up or shut up!!
How did he get elected ? He is a convicted criminal .
So all you naysayers of said individual get off of your rumps and run for council. No matter what the council do it will always be wrong in someone’s eyes. Those preaching that our friends from Labour have all the answers, good on you but where will all the extra money come from to do all the wonderful things that labour council will do. Can you remind me what they are? Money has been pi*+ed up the wall by this lot but I bet the same will happen with the next lot but because (nothing is for sure) they are Labour all will be well with the world. I’m not a blue, I have my own political views but I cant discuss them because it will upset people and I will get locked up for hate speech and get Called a racist because that’s how it is now.
They can’t be serious! A new floating bridge? When he was with the gang that commissioned this one? You couldn’t make it up, could you?
The trouble is the island has no really forward thinking people so we will always struggle
The island is my favourite place, but I fail to see the logic in voting for someone who is only going to put right the mess he helped make with the floating bridge.maybe in order to save some money in the council coffers all staff should be required to either cycle to work or get public transport which they should pay for out of their wages.stop claiming extortionate prices for travel, also maybe do the same as an islander has to do and pay for mainland travel themselves as well and not claim it back.too many councillors on too high a wage maybe.