East Cowes councillor Karl Love has dramatically resigned from the Alliance Group, which has controlling power at County Hall, following Cabinet’s decision to go full steam ahead with devolution plans.
Last week, the Alliance-led Cabinet of the Isle of Wight Council green-lighted plans to fast-track Labour’s devolution for the Isle of Wight. This is despite a non-binding Full Council vote the night before returning a majority ‘no’ to pushing ahead at pace.
Furthermore, Alliance councillors voted to keep themselves in a job for another 12 months – by requesting the postponement of local elections in May 2025 for a period of 12 months.
Now, in response to the Cabinet’s decision-making process and his wider upset with the Alliance group, Councillor Love has resigned from the group. However, he will continue to represent the people of East Cowes as an ungrouped independent. He will also continue as the Council’s chairman.
Cllr Love says he will work with those who share common political values, mutual understandings and inclusive practice.
Speaking to Island Echo, Cllr Love has said that he has been unhappy with the Alliance for ‘some considerable time’, but stayed as he felt it was the right thing to do for the people. However, he now says that he can no longer support the group and that he is extremely concerned about democracy.
Karl suggests that the temptation of money and plugging the Council’s financial black hole may be a driving force behind the devolution backing.
Councillor Love has said:
“The Alliance group in my view is no longer inclusive and representative of my political views as was once the case. The Alliance has become a group of cabinet determination which excludes and exhibits behaviours I cannot support.
“I believe in localism and fighting to ensure that local people have as much say and voice as possible over their own community decisions and futures. It is the way in which this has been handled by the government and by the cabinet administration that I find unacceptable. Whatever one’s views, we put people first and we should never rush to give away local responsibilities or indicate an intent to do so before testing the water locally to see what local people think and feel about it.
“Introducing a new level of regional governance will bring new powers to raise tax, for instance, and local accountability without being 100% sure that this is what our community, town and parish councils want. Yes, there is a consultation process to now follow but we’ve actually greenlighted our interest to Government without knowing if this green light is wanted by Island people.
“Good government and local governments carry the people with them and in making positive informed decisions – it doesn’t make decisions before having a mandate to do so.
“For those who think that the riches of Government pound notes being waved under councils’ noses will change anything in the long-term, I feel they are sadly mistaken as what will follow, as we can see from other Mayoral offices, is the raising of tax to support the office they administer and with little or any proper representation coming from our Island.
“We have to remember that our Island people unanimously rejected the offer of Mayoral regional governance previously.
“I can no longer be a part of an Alliance where Cabinet expresses lip service and minimise inclusive democratic process”.
Devolution will happen no matter what,
I just hope it results in a Bridge or Tunnel.
The island is so behind the times.
Why don’t you just move to the mainland then?
Oh, I wish he would
Why do people keep electing morons like Brodie and Jordan will they never learn
Well done, Karl. A man with scruples who is serving the people who elected him.
His allegiances change more than the weather, as long as the money flows he will be happy.
I think it is those who seek an extra year without being elected who are chasing the money. It is ridiculous to make a decision in advance of a consultation. This is an important decision which should be taken thoughtfuly and after careful consideration, not as a kneejerk by a few councillors looking after number one.
Cllr Love says a lot but I’m not sure what he is achieving.
Mayors elected elsewhere are a mixed bunch but where they are good they are very, very good (Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester, Labour). Not all are good (Ben Houchen, Teesside, Conservative).
It would be ludicrous for IW to cut itself off from any opportunity for betterment, and the “full” council (a debatable term) was stupid to oppose showing an interest; luckily Cabinet had better sense. If Cllr Love sees that as a threat to democracy, I wonder what he thinks should have been done.
He hasn’t mentioned that.
Look what Sadiq Khan has done for London when you think about having a Mayor.