The Isle of Wight Council’s ruling administration has suffered another blow after 2 more Councillors — including an executive leader — jumped ship to form a new group.
The Empowering Islanders group has last week (Friday 12th May) been created on the Isle of Wight Council — with members Councillor Dave Adams, Councillor Chris Jarman, Councillor John Medland and Councillor Peter Spink.
2 members, Cllrs Adams and Jarman, are the latest to leave the Alliance Group — meaning it has lost 4 Councillors in 1 week. It means the Conservatives are now the biggest group on the Isle of Wight Council. The party now has 3 more councillors than the ruling Alliance administration.
Empowering Islanders is now the 3rd biggest group on the authority, ahead of the Liberal Democrats who now have 3 seats after Cllr Michael Lilley joined them earlier this week.
Cllr Jarman, who has been part of the Council since May 2021, has been appointed leader of the group. He currently holds one of the most important portfolios on the council’s cabinet, in charge of the authority’s finances.
Cllr Spink last week left the Conservative party at County Hall, originally saying he would stand as an independent Conservative before joining Empowering Islanders.
Cllr Medland confirmed his resignation from the Alliance today after saying he had had some doubts for some time and did not like how ‘divided’ the council was, feeling more could be done if they worked together as a whole for the Island’s interests.
Cllr Medland, who represents Freshwater South, has taken a ‘bit of a gamble’ and left what he called ‘a good experiment’. However, speaking about the way different political factions interact at County Hall, he said:
“We are always knocking lumps out of each other and not working together. I hope by shifting to the middle ground, I can make a place where councillors can work as a whole, for the Island’s interest.”
Cllr Medland – who will lose his position as chair of the planning committee – went on to say:
“The way the Council is working is awful – divided. I know it is normal politics but I am not that way inclined. I would prefer us to work as a team. The Council faces enormous problems right now — we are losing our young people, a huge housing crisis — there is so much we have to worry about. Group politics gets in the way and we are not concentrating on solving the problems. We are criticising each other.”
In a statement issued after the resignation of Cllr Medland, Cllr Jonathan Bacon, the Alliance’s spokesperson, said he knew of the intent to form a new group, but that the councillors had indicated they did not wish to see the ‘Council leadership change’. At the time, he said he had no concerns over recent exits and called it “a very small storm in an insignificant teacup.” Cllr Bacon has been contacted for an updated comment.
On the Isle of Wight Council, there are now: 16 Conservative councillors; 13 Alliance members, who are either independent or The Green Party; 4 Empowering Islanders; 3 Liberal Democrats; 1 Labour member; 1 independent Labour; and an independent councillor, Cllr Daryll Pitcher, who was jailed for historic child sex offences last month.
Oh this is fantastic news! Splitting the vote to allow the Tories to rule was always the best way forward. It seems those brown envelopes were a good investment. I expect a tenfold return. Nice.
Councillors are elected by us, the public who voted to put them in County Hall. Their job is to work to protect and make the best decisions for the island and all its residents. As stated in this post, they seem to spend most of their time arguing and ‘knocking lumps out of each other’. I think they forget who put them in County Hall and what their purpose is!
Grow up.
I believe if you keep jumping ship ,you are fickle, either you support your party or you just sod off , the alliance was a farce so why would we want to vote for another lparty of rat’s??????
Re naming ,doesn’t make any difference!!!!!
You can put lipstick on a pig ,but it still a pig ….
Come on then, be brave and spill the beans on who is on the take. So much corruption, come on someone tell us really, what is going on.
Time for residents to vote for our Councillors?
By Election?
Some people vote for the party the person represents – so how does that work when Councillors change parties?
So, the much vaunted anti tory coalition is falling apart – comes as no surprise – they are just re-arranging the deckchairs on the titanic, that is all.
the woke, liberals are turning on each other, which is as expected.
“Woke liberals” is such a cringey thing to write that it renders any point you may have moot.
Cllr Medland went on to say:
“The Council faces enormous problems right now — we are losing our young people, a huge housing crisis ”
no, Cllr Medland, there is no housing crisis, it is a population crisis – you and the other councilors are facilitating the never ending stream of taxpayer funded benefit spongers moving to the island, as well as sneakily accepting dinghy people. Instead of bitching with each other like children, trying to assert your own agendas – how about you, stop benefit claimants moving here at taxpayers expense, stop second homes, stop air bnb and stop accepting dinghy people in island flats at our expense. This will free up housing for born and bred islanders and protect the greenfields from captiva.
I think that sums it up rather well. How can we stop the rot ?
remove any councillor and anyone on the planning commitees that disagree with the depopulation plan
2nd homes & Air BnBs are the real issue. Your “dinghy people” & “benefit spongers” at least contribute year round to Island businesses. Who cares if they are spending tax payers money if they are keeping local businesses afloat in the off-season when those 2nd homes & Air bnbs are empty. People love to kick those they see as below them when those are not the people causing most of the issues. If people tried kicking up not down then more issues might be able to be solved.
Well said… As a “benefit sponger” when I moved to the island on disability, I have brought more input financially to local businesses,not national enterprise, than most. Now I am back running my own business again I pay even more gladly, especially during the dark days of winter when the tourist pound has left the island.
Conqullion – you are just the type of hand wringing do gooder that is ruining this country – we do not need nor want hoardes of dingy people turning up here, sponging off of the rest of us at our expense
the government only gets the extra money to hand to these sponging leeches, by taxing you more, so your quality of life deteriorates just to hand it to some sponger that turns up on these shores.
get real will you
the next time your taxes go up – don’t whinge and don’t complain when these deadbeats are dumped on your doorstep, in your locale or your street.
“free up housing for born and bred islanders”! What a load of utter drivel. If you want a home, take a look on Rightmove. There seem to be almost 2000 on the market at all sorts of prices. Buy one that you can afford in the same way people do in the rest of the country. Just stop bleating on about affordable housing. “Affordable housing” is just that – affordable. If you can’t afford the one you imagine you are entitled to, go and find one that you can afford. Better still, get a better job so you can afford more. But stop asking for handouts because you are on a low wage. You are entitled to nothing that you have not earned.
What a motley crew. Can’t they play nicely?
Embarassment, that aptly describes the council. its like a playground, with the same IQ do you want to be in my gang, no you were beastly to me yesterday I am going in their gang,but I might change my mind at tomorrows play.
Headless chickens spring to mind.
If ever proof we’re needed they’re an untrustworthy bunch this it.
Brilliant, loads of fighting within is the perfect way to effectively run the Island. Confidence in the IOW Council restored!
As long as they keep my blue badge free, disability benefits high & the pubs open, I’ll vote for them!
all the more reason to cut blue badge eligibility and cut benefits, if all you are going to do, is sit in the pub, quaffing ale and being a burden on the rest of society
Why on earth do you lot keep slagging off the disabled and the elderly? I am disabled AND I have a blue badge and just love these fireside doctors who claim that anyone on disability benefit is a fraud and the blue badges are given out like sweeties. I have been through 9 assessments over the years and have never had my entitlement to DLA questioned by GPs, Neurologists, Urologists, the pain clinic and various other specialists, but I have been forced to endure a third degree from a private company paid to remove claimants. I also pay full rent and council tax as disability benefits are classed as income, not benefits like unemployment, tax credits et al. So pick on unemployed who refuse to work, those who fiddle and those on sickness.
The main criteria for obtaining a Blue Badge is having severe difficulty in walking.Go to any supermarket, see the many disabled cars parked and look for those having great difficulty walking.I am not against genuine reasons for priviliged parking but,in my opinion,most do not need it.Also,why shouldn’t they pay like the rest of us?.
because a lot of “disabled” aren’t really and are just sponging off the state to avoid working.
and some of those that are disabled, can actually do some work, but choose not too – you know, someone that uses a wheelchair or just struggles to walk, can work from home, or in an office – they don’t have to simply claim benefits. So much work is remote and online these days.
you have your disability welfare money classed as income – quite rightly so – all equal these days, wouldn’t be the case if the disability groups hadn’t campaigned so hard for equal treatment. Still, their hell bent determination for equality clearly had a sting in the tail, as previously, disability benefit wasn’t taken into consideration as income.
They won’t do that, where do I put my ‘X’ & make it a large one please barman!
Should mean a local election so the voter can say whether they still want these defectors to represent them on thre council. Time the rules were changed.
John Medland is a great chap Isle of Wight council were stupid to let him go. But we the council prefers we live in the dark ages, and just pay themselves. Simpler than making any sort of effort for Islanders. Bring back youth clubs. For a start. Even the kids on the bus know how to make their skateparks more useable. Try listening to your residents. Deaf council
How boring…. more drivel from County Hall. It’s simple isn’t it? If you want to jump from the sinking ship, you give up your seat. Simples. I’d say this is the one of the worst councils we’ve ever had, and now they are just taking the piss out of the electorate.
They are all a waste of oxygen