The leader of the Isle of Wight Council has defended the Island’s inclusion in Labour’s fast-track devolution plans in the face of doubt over County Hall’s future.
Phil Jordan has said that fast-track devolution is about having local control of key decisions and strategic investments ‘sooner rather than later’ – though Isle of Wight East MP, Joe Robertson, insists the Island’s current unitary authority is under threat, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Councillor Jordan, Ryde North West’s representative, said the plans put the Island at the table of negotiations where it can negotiate a devolved power deal instead of it being imposed.
He said:
“Devolution does not alter local authorities. Devolution is a strategic partnership where constituent councils work together across an area or region to deliver strategic schemes and projects on things such as transport, housing and adult education.
“It is a partnership that transfers certain powers from Westminster to our area and it transfers additional funding to the strategic partnership.”
Mr Jordan spoke out following Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s announcement yesterday (Wednesday) that elections scheduled for May this year in nine local authority areas, including the Isle of Wight, will be postponed as part of the government’s devolution plans.
Ms Rayner said a postponement decision had only been agreed in places ‘central to our manifesto promise to deliver devolution after careful consideration’.
She told the House of Commons:
“We are not in the business of holding elections to bodies that will not exist, and where we do not know what will replace them.
“This would be an expensive and irresponsible waste of taxpayers’ money, and any party calling for those elections to go ahead must explain how this waste would be justifiable.
“To that end, I have agreed to postpone local elections in East Sussex and West Sussex, in Essex and Thurrock, in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and in Norfolk and Suffolk.”
Joe Robertson MP has said:
“The very existence of the Isle of Wight Council is now under threat. This is no longer just about a shared mayor with Hampshire but whether we merge our own council with part of the mainland.
“The Deputy Prime Minister was very clear that local elections are only being cancelled in places where the local council may cease to exist after the negotiations.”
Look how well devolution works in Wales and Scotland. So pleased the Stalinist government thought to ask the very people it affects.
If “Devolution does not alter local authorities” then why did Angela Rayner say “We are not in the business of holding elections to bodies that will not exist, and where we do not know what will replace them”.
Either Councillor Jordan doesn’t know what he is talking about or he is just making sure he stays in power for another year, possibly longer?
Something of this magnitude should be decided by Islanders in a referendum and not by councillors who don’t appear to know what they are doing!
When Phil Jordan speaks everyone switches off, he cannot lie straight, devolution does not alter local politics, oh yes it does, there will be a huge reduction in paid councillors and many dozens of local authority workers will be done away with can only be a good thingfor the island.
Oops. Apostrophe? As for devolution, it’s working well in Manchester. Central funding for many of the local councils, who make their own decisions based on local need. The cross-council needs are catered for centrally and it comes out of a central budget. (Think transportation etc) And that is why we’re not headed for local elections which could bring a knee-jerk reaction locally to a problem which is nationwide at present.
Jordan, Starmer and no brainer Rayner, what a motley crew, get rid of this lot and quick, gives us our vote back.
Be careful not to jump out of frying pan into the fire
The only thing this weasel defends is collecting his nice fat paycheck and pension. He,as a lot of the isle of Wight council have no interest in this islands well being all they do is increase council tax , increase car parking charges and take votes on our behalf without us even being involved.
They are the biggest virus and the only cure is scrapping the lot of them and employing a few that will make us proud of our island again.
The island needs change, bring it on.
Lol
Devolution will only create more levels of incompetent parasites on vast salaries and gold plated pensions. You only have to look at Wales and Scotland to see how well Devolution works.