Wednesday night’s General Election hustings saw all 6 candidates competing for the Isle of Wight East seat locking horns in front of an enthusiastic audience of 200 people at Ryde School’s Theatre. A summary of the Island Echo/IW Observer-organised hustings was published on Thursday. Island Echo now looks deeper into what each candidate had to say… The audience was welcomed by Darren Toogood, editor and publisher of Island Echo, and the event was chaired by Richard Priest. The candidates were (seated from left to right): Joe Robertson (Conservative), Michael Lilley (Liberal Democrat), Sarah Morris (Reform UK), Vix Lowthion (Green Party), David Groocock (Independent), Emily Brothers (Labour). After introducing themselves, all candidates answered the following questions related to local issues of great concern to constituents… 
What’s the solution for the increasing charges and deteriorating service of the ferries?
Emily Brothers said:
“We need more effective regulation under the control of a regulatory body. competition between ferry services needs to be opened up.”
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David Groocock: “The idea of privatisation was to create competition. I would welcome a 3rd operator.” Vix Lowthion: “All options should be on the table. We need a commitment for nationalisation.” Sarah Morris: “I don’t believe in regulation. We should separate the ferries from the landing facilities to create competition.” Micheal Lilley: “There are some children in Ryde that have never travelled to the mainland. We need an Island Equality Act.” Joe Robertson: “The ferries are not just bad but are getting worse. The government should decide the prices and the timetables as they do with the railways.” 
What would you do to improve school results on the Island?
Vix Lowthion said:
“I am a teacher with 25 years’ experience. 36 per cent of Island children are in poverty. Standards are not good enough.”
David Groocock: “Schools should be for education and not run as businesses. It’s not right that children are in poverty in this day and age.” Michael Lilley: “We need to take away the child benefit cap for more than 2 children. We can build a science museum in the Bay area to inspire future engineers.” Joe Robertson: “Schools are closing because of declining birth rates. We need to make the Isle of Wight as attractive as possible for young families.” Emily Brothers: “Children don’t learn because they are hungry. Labour will introduce breakfast clubs.” Sarah Morris: “Children are our future. They should be taught how to think, not what to think. We should bring back Middle Schools.” 
What can be done to improve the NHS on the Island? Sasrah Morris said:
“We should cut waste, reintroduce matrons in hospitals and end caps on the doctors being trained.”
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Michael Lilley: “We should bring governance of health back to the Island.” Joe Robertson: “We need to rethink health and social care. There needs to be more focus on care in the community.” Emily Brothers: “The NHS was there for me and my family when I was growing up, but it has now been trashed by the Tories.” David Groocock: “I would like to see an NHS we can all be proud of to return.” Vix Lowthion: “The Tories have failed on cutting waiting lists. Staffing is also important, and the elephant in the room is Brexit.” 
What do candidates feel about biosphere status, flooding and coastal erosion on the Island? Joe Robertson said:
“We need to hold the Environment Agency to account for the flooding at Monkton Mead.”
Sarah Morris: “We are surrounded by water – we need desalination plants. I’m not in favour of wind turbines and solar energy as they cover farmers’ fields, stopping them from growing food.” Vix Lowthion: “Action to reach net zero is not optional. We need to leave the planet in a better state than when we came to it.” Dave Groocock: “We have to take climate change seriously. There are lots of alternative ways of creating green technology. You can even run a car on solar panels.” Emily Brothers: “We have an amazing UNESCO recognised biosphere, but it is not being regulated effectively.” Michael Lilley: “It was me who brought forward the motion on the climate emergency at the Isle of Wight Council. We need to tackle the fact that our rainfall has gone up 200% over the last 2 years.” 
In answers to questions from the audience, all candidates other than Joe Robertson (Conservative) said they were in favour of votes for 16-year-olds. Joe thought that the lack of engagement from 18- to 30-year-old voters was a greater concern. When asked whether they would take a second job were they to become Isle of Wight East MP, all candidates declared they would not do so. You can watch back the entire Isle of Wight East hustings, which was live streamed, below:
I attended the hustings and found Vix Lowthion by far the most impressive and had the best handle on what the Island truly needs. I never in my life thought I would vote Green, but that is the way I’m currently leaning.
But don’t forget she is the only professional speaker – it is an environment in which she is very comfortable.
They can say whatever they want because no one will hold them to account.
Local issues are important but more important are the larger issues ruining our country.
Mass illegal immigration is causing huge costs and massive future problems for us and our children to endure.
Wait until these people are given amnesty and all require a home all with huge families, as they too will discover that then with equal rights they too won’t need to work but let others fund them too
Best vote Reform before your children end up badly regretting your naive decision if not when they need a home a doctor an appointment at hospital or fall victim to a crime caused by unchecked arrivals
Think. Then vote. Too late thinking after
The pearls of wisdom…
Micheal Lilley: “There are some children in Ryde that have never travelled to the mainland. We need an Island Equality Act.”
Emily Brothers: “Children don’t learn because they are hungry. Labour will introduce breakfast clubs.”
Vix Lowthion: “The Tories have failed on cutting waiting lists. Staffing is also important, and the elephant in the room is Brexit.”
Dave Groocock: “We have to take climate change seriously. There are lots of alternative ways of creating green technology. You can even run a car on solar
To abbreviate – FFS…
Climate change is another Lie, just like the Plandemic
It’s up to the parents to feed their children not the schools via the taxpayers. If they don’t have the money then give up the Range Rovers, designer clothes and eating out down the pub.
The elephant in the room are the Greens and LibDems for voting against the government on dismantling the ridiculous EU laws that we have to still abide by.
Climate change has been going on since the end of the ice age (11,000 years ago) before industry etc. Did these candidates walk to the venue to save the climate, no they drove in their cars.
Utter crap all of it ..
There are some god awful answers in that lot. Bring back middle schools? They were sh***. Three tier education left island children years behind. Nor do they need the state to brush their teeth and give them breakfast. That’s their parents job not the tax payers. As for regulating the ferries like the trains well that works, not. Honestly they are hopeless. Build a science museum, nationalise the ferries. These are the best they can do. We are doomed.
Like I stated in my earlier comment, no one in there fit for purpose doing what the ordinary people need. None of them as always, out in the real world, only feathering the nests of their own
The Island will always be Tory.
Only persons living in social housing will be voting
Reform or Labour.
I think you may be surprised,lots will not be voting the tories in again,they have had enough,wait and see.
Labour is the only answer
Vote for Reform to see Britain reborn
Reborn into an autocracy? No thanks.
It’ll be a breech-birth, a*se first. Farage.
Vote for Reform to ensure that Labour win. Split the Tory vote.
Labour are about to destroy what’s left of this country in bed with islam ..only for votes, tax tax tax.. oh and more tax.then when uk is broken .blame the tories for next 5 year’s..without fixing ANYTHING ..
Joe Robertson gave answers as if it was not his party who have created the mess this bankript country is in. If another Conservative coukd do so much for tge Island why hasnt Bob Seely already done it? Load of rubbish. Floiding has occurred all during Mr Seelys tenure. Result nothing. Dont believe Conservatice lies. They talk well but dont deliver anything unkess its to thier advantage. Bets on Election, expenses, lets not forget duck house.
Oh dear poor English Language problems, even with a spell checker.