Despite calls to form a cross-party cabinet – and a pledge to work together – the new leader of the Isle of Wight Council has announced a reshuffle…with no one from outside his own group.
Councillor Phil Jordan took the reins of the authority just over 2 weeks ago, and said he was thinking about a cross-party cabinet after his group, the Alliance Administration, was heavily criticised for not working across the Council chamber.
The announcement last week that there were no new members in the cabinet came as a ‘shock’ to other Councillors, who thought discussions were going to take place next week.
A ‘horrified’ Councillor Paul Brading, the Conservative group’s deputy leader, said it ‘flies in the face’ of what Cllr Jordan had said about working together. He said he has been waiting for someone to speak to his party, ever since Cllr Jordan was appointed Council leader last month. No one has had a call or email, he said, just a meeting scheduled for next week.
It had been put in the calendars of group leaders and some other Councillors, called to discuss cross-chamber collaboration, he said.
When he was appointed as leader, Cllr Jordan said he would do everything he could to work across the Council, although he said it would not be easy.
Cllr Brading said after that meeting the Conservatives had hopes of a real collaboration but the cabinet was a missed opportunity.
Other Councillors have also expressed their disappointment.
Councillor Geoff Brodie – who was not interested in a cabinet position as he looks to step down in May 2025 – said he was disappointed no political party, including the Greens, wanted to work together in the cabinet. He suspected it was because of general election priorities.
Cllr Brodie said:
“As it stands this is just a reshuffle of the existing cabinet, which does not fill me with a great deal of hope for the next 18 months.”
The Empowering Islanders (EI) group said they were unaware of the reshuffle until being contacted by the media for comment this morning.
Councillor Chris Jarman, EI leader, said the group was not invited to or involved in any talks for a cross-party cabinet and he had spoken to other members, not in the Alliance, who also knew nothing about the reorganisation.
The cabinet responsibilities will now be:
• Cllr Phil Jordan – Transport and Infrastructure (with added leadership responsibility)
• Cllr Ian Stephens (deputy leader) – Housing and Finance
• Cllr Jonathan Bacon – Education and Corporate Services
• Cllr Debbie Andre – Adult Social Care and Public Health
• Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox – Climate Change and Biosphere
• Cllr Julie Jones-Evans – Leisure and Regeneration (unchanged)
• Cllr Karen Lucioni – Community Safety and waste (unchanged)
• Cllr Paul Fuller – Planning, Coastal Protection and Flooding (unchanged)
Rather ironically, despite his 2016 conviction for drink driving, Cllr Jordan is heading up responsibility for transport.
Cllr Andrew Garratt, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said his party did not seek any positions in the cabinet but hoped the executive would work hard to ensure all Councillors are engaged with tackling big, upcoming challenges, and in an open and transparent way.
The Council is currently looking at whether to adopt a committee system, which Cllr Garratt supports and hoped would bring about greater collaboration or input from all councillors.
Why dont you stop filling up your calendars with meeting about disagreements and focus on improving the island, I can think of a few just like the rest of us who live on the island.
Anything is better than the Ellis lead alternative. Who cares what the conservatives think? They are a spent force who have taken us for a ride once too often.
The grinning lying buffoon. Drunk driver in charge of the island steering us on a course to bankruptcy.
“Cllr Brading said … the Conservatives had hopes of a real collaboration”
Obviously no-one else felt the same way,.. & TBH who can blame them
who would want to work with a party who’s overriding drive is Greed,.. and will stoop to any level of lies and deceit to get what they want.
With this buffoon in charge the island is on a slippery slope to becoming bankrupt very quickly. First priority of his will be to fill the drinks cabinet. The island will also see the first of many countrywide riots at the expected counci tax hikes when they come about. Already this corrupt council are saying parking revenue is down. Jordan is as corrupt as they come, hence just picking his mates for covering his alcohol soaked backside.
You’re really suggesting that the Isle of Wight will be among the ‘first of many countrywide riots’ because of Council Tax?
I honestly can’t see all the pensioners (30% of the Island population) and all those in Care Homes (who knows how many this is) rioting.
Likewise, many of those on benefits (another largish chunk of the Island population) are probably immune to any Council Tax rise as they will already get reductions or pay nothing at all in some cases.
I won’t hold my breath waiting to see grandma and grandad out in the streets rioting and looting.
not only council tax, everything and everyone is at breaking point, obviously you are not.
The man’s an idiot, he will spend much needed money on covering his and friends backsides buy, buying/replacing the fiasco of a floating bridge
Alliance, biggest joke !!!!!!
They are only interested in looking like a smug plank ……
All tarred and feathered with the same brush!!!!!
Shame they can’t work together for the island !!!!
Makes no difference .at all . all are incompetent to do their jobs properly.. and you get better behaviour at a kindergarten.
I wonder how much we are paying these idiots to ruin the
Island.
Islanders, possibly including you, voted for them. The best way to show dissatisfaction with politicians is not to vote on polling day. A very low turnout would say far more than words.
By not voting will always return a Conservative candidate. That’s what we don’t want.
Is there any person that is a councillor or even an mp that actually says 1 thing and actually does what they say?
What happens on the drunk club stays in the drunk club eh Jordan the man is a disgrace, liar, and not to be trusted with Monopoly money let alone ours!.
I’ve known of him and his involvements for a number of years . Use to be a pet tech guy for a care agency. He’s always been a drunk arseh..e