Matt Ambrosini has been elected to represent Carisbrooke & Gunville on Newport & Carisbrooke Community Council following this week’s by-election, securing a 75 majority to take the seat.
Matt, who lives in Carisbrooke, has become the youngest councillor on the Island having only turned 18 in April. It is believed he is the youngest person ever to be elected as councillor anywhere on the Island.
The Cowes Enterprise College student is a member of the Isle of Wight Conservative Association and declared his party membership on all of his campaign literature. However, as the Island Conservatives – like Labour and other parties – have a policy of not putting up official candidates for the town, community and parish by-elections, he instead offered voters a 6-word description of his candidature.
Speaking after his election, Matt said:
“I am delighted to have been elected to represent Carisbrooke & Gunville – where I have lived since birth – on the Community Council.
“I recognise that for many local residents, choosing an 18 year old college student to be one of their community councillors was not something that they were expecting to do. But I am honoured that they have done so, and I will now demonstrate that the trust they placed in me was the right thing to do.
“I look forward to contributing to the work of the community council, and – alongside Cara Lock the 19 year old councillor for Parkhurst & Hunnyhill – bring a fresh, youthful perspective to its deliberations. This will complement the experienced input of many others, and I will be working constructively with all of them.
“There are many issues affecting the local area, such as the plans from the Alliance administration (at County Hall) to allocate land in Gunville for 170 homes. Working with Terry Martin as the other community councillor for Carisbrooke & Gunville, I will be urging local residents to respond to the Isle of Wight Council’s consultation on these proposals.
Article continues below this advertisement “My thanks to all those in Carisbrooke & Gunville who made the effort to vote, and for all the staff who worked a long day manning the polling stations and overseeing the count at 10pm.
“I look forward to a pint or two this evening to celebrate the result.”
The full result was:
- Matt Ambrosini (Carisbrooke Resident, Championing the Local Community) – 220 votes
- Verity Bird (Independent) – 111 votes
- Stephen Rushbrook (Green Party) – 145 votes
As his life experience consists of bed times, homework and being told what to do by adults, i won’t be taking any notice of him.
he will be eaten alive by the more experienced, astute and adult players on this scene within hours.
Or he will be forged in the fires of local politics?
come September he will be off to Uni & the ward will no longer be represented
Well done Matt. Good to see some young blood in the council. Dot get bullied by the old timers. Lets hope they listen to you.
Didn’t manage to stop the development going on behind you in the photo….. or is that just major renovations going on? Oh well, let’s hope he doesn’t fall into the “Here is a brown envelope, now do as your told or else” brigade.
If he plays his cards right will become a very wealthy man. Will need a letter opener, wouldn’t want to cut his fingers on the brown envelopes.
congratulations we need your generation to get involved some of the comments below shock me they are from people who complain about the young yobs yet when someone with enthusiasm and gumption steps forward stupid remarks appear below well done
Well done to Matt … and also Cara it appears. Good luck in your endeavours.
A word of caution though… please be aware that you are and will both be pawns of IOW Conservative Association Chair – David Pugh who has clearly written your media statement. David has an unfortunate history of annihilating anything good, turning it about face to suit his own lobbying business interests. Please be strong and do the right thing in the face of this inevitable adversity.
Well done matt
Let’s change as I have 2 kids nothing happened dont worry about anything as a island we do come thou
Tell David Pugh where to go most people do he is a rude arrogant piece of s*** and you are better then him
Well let’s hope he’ll be more like Greta Thunberg. There’s a young woman who is doing her best to make a difference in the world in a good way. If we had more young people like her in positions of power, it will be a good thing.