Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to resolve a 50-year issue of support for local services on the Island.
The Isle of Wight is the only island in Britain not to receive additional funding due to its geographic isolation. The Isles of Scilly receive a multiplier of 1.5 and Scottish islands benefit from a Special Islands Needs Allowance.
For the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24, the Government agreed to provide an additional £2million to the Isle of Wight Council in recognition of the additional costs it bears for being an island separated by sea, however a fairer and permanent funding solution is being sought by the Island’s MP.
Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions today (22nd March) Mr Seely said:
“The Island has been getting a better deal in recent years, and I thank the Prime Minister for that, especially before he was Prime Minister, when he was working with me in different roles in Government to make that happen.
“However, the Island remains the only sizeable island in the UK, without a fixed link and separated from the mainland by sea, which does not receive a funding uplift to support Local Government services.
“This injustice has been ongoing now for 50 years. All the evidence shows that it costs more to provide local services on an Island than on the mainland.
“Will the Prime Minister work with me and his minsters to overcome this injustice this year?”
In response to the question put directly to him today, the Prime Minister said:
“Can I thank my honourable friend for his continued campaigning on behalf of his constituents. It was a pleasure to spend many happy childhood holidays on the Island and I enjoyed visiting him more recently there as well.
“The Isle of Wight Council will benefit from a 10% increase in their funding in cash terms for the next financial year and have been awarded an additional million pounds in recognition of the unique circumstances of the Island, as my honourable friend points out, but I will ensure that he does get a meeting with the Minister for Local Government to carry on the good work that he and I started and make sure that his local constituents get the support that they need.”
Mr Seely will be meeting with the Local Government Minister next week to discuss this issue further.
Nothing will come of it.
Our prime minister is richer than our royal family and this shmuck is running our country? I cried when he became PM because he has no passion to see change, there all just words. I’m waiting for them to all grow too old..it’s a hard era to be young. People say to me as I dont vote, I’m not doing my part for our country well I am; by not voting. By standing by my honour and integrity i will not vote for a party that even in the slightest goes against the grain of peace love unity and respect and all of you voters who voted the same party irrespective to the party’s manifesto every election are the ones to blame. Giving inches more power election to election the older generation have truly left us high and dry. Straight outthe mouthsof babes
Voting makes no difference. We didn’t vote for any of the last two prime ministers that won’t change.
He was elected as an MP at the last general election. You don’t vote for a Prime Minister you moron. You vote for the candidate who you think will do the best job for your constituency. Maybe everyone should remember that next time they consider voting for Sleepy Seely.
Aye, any present or new political systems will have teething problems or just dont work, as axiomatic as it seems I think we need a new system perhaps with present operations involved with fresh air of new life. but somethings got to give maybe we should elect a PM by means of public vote and have better accountability laws in place to ensure we aren’t conned. The people need more assurances with said repercussions and the only way to do it is to change the system.
He is unelected and was placed in his position by the WEF
He was elected as an MP at the last general election. You don’t vote for a Prime Minister you moron. You vote for the candidate who you think will do the best job for your constituency. Maybe everyone should remember that next time they consider voting for Sleepy Seely.
What ’50 year issue ‘ is he talking about? He’s just made this sh!t up to grab a cheap headline. That’s unlike him, surely.
Not 50 years.
5 years.
That’s when Seely voted for the amount of money we get from central Government to be halved.
Twice!!
Well, from the picture it looks like they’re both having a nice day at the beach anyway.
yet just more hot air
And the bs continues, with more lies!
More BS from BS.
The PM is giving us an extra 10%, with inflation at 10.4% that means we’re getting even less than we had last year.