After narrowly losing a bid to take back control of the Isle of Wight Council, Councillor Suzie Ellis, the Conservative group leader, has called for the ‘bickering’ to stop so solutions to the Island’s problems can be found.
On Wednesday, the Alliance Group’s Councillor Phil Jordan was appointed the new leader of the authority, but only after a vote ended in deadlock, with both candidates securing 19 votes each. The deciding vote fell to Councillor Claire Critchison, as chair of the authority, who sided with Cllr Jordan.
Following the result, Cllr Ellis congratulated Cllr Jordan on his win and wished him well for his term in office, but urged him to strike a different tone and style to that of his predecessor, Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox.
Cllr Ellis, the ward representative for Central Rural, had previously lodged a motion of no confidence in Cllr Peacey-Wilcox’s leadership. At the time, she said the Council needed someone who was prepared to make ‘the right and difficult decisions’.
The motion was withdrawn, and a leadership contest started, after Cllr Peacey-Wilcox announced she would resign from the position.
Following last night’s vote, Cllr Ellis said:
“I hope this marks a change in direction for the current administration and we will see the clear leadership and decision-making Cllr Jordan inferred he will be carrying out. I feel there is a lot of energy and innovation in the Council chamber but in recent weeks that has been spent in the pursuit of petty and personal politics.”
“That energy needs to be spent outwards on solutions, not inwards on bickering and I very much hope we can now all move forward and do what we need to do for the good of the Island.”
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Cllr Ellis said she looks forward to hearing more about his plans for the period ahead, both who will undertake key roles and how the various challenges will be tackled, some of which require urgent action.
She said she hoped there could be cross-chamber working as far as possible but did recognise the difficulties it does present with the differing political groups.
Cllr Ellis said:
“The Conservative Group, under my leadership, is committed to undertaking constructive scrutiny in helping make the right decisions at the right time.”
Plans !! What plans ! You think Jordan has plans ? Sadly No choice between either really .both untrustworthy egomaniacs.. .
Is it just me or are our elected councillors are more interested in their own petty squabbles and interests. Rather than doing the job they are elected to do?
It’s like the muppets show but without the cute and funny characters.
1st job – sort out these rip off ferry company’s
2nd job – sort out these rip off ferry company’s oh and the floating bridge
And so on and so on…
Ever since the TITF report of July 2016 both the IWC & MP have wimped out of tackling the cross Solent issue!
eh? What have the ferries to do with Ventnor, Lake, Shanklin, Sandown, Newport Councillors? No ferries in any of their wards. I doubt they even mentioned “Ferries” in their election leaflets.
But do tell me what you think a Councillor from Ventnor could do to sort out the ferry companies.
The new council leader is apparently sorting the floating bridge out? Using all that hard won compensation!
If the councillors would just forget the party politics and concentrate on what’s best for the Island, I’d have respect for them. But until that happens (or hell freezes over, whichever comes first) they do not have any respect whatever.