Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has put forward the Solent Ferry Regulator Bill to Parliament seeking to regulate cross-Solent ferries – the last Bill to be presented before the General Election. Keeping to his promise, Mr Seely – in one of his last acts as a sitting MP before Parliament is dissolved next week – has put forward a proposal to create an independent regulator for ferry services to and from the Isle of Wight. The regulator would aim to promote competition, drive down prices and improve the service for Islanders. This Bill follows Bob Seely’s 21-page report into the Isle of Wight Ferry services earlier this year which you can read here. Now the general election has been called, the Bill will not progress further in its current form but it could be considered again after the election. A second reading will be held on 5th July – described as ‘wishful thinking’ by the Speaker of the House, Lindsay Hoyle. Bob Seely MP has said:
“Over the past 20 years the ferries have become slower, less frequent, more expensive and less reliable, and we have seen further disruption this week. “Following the publication of my reports into the cross-Solent ferries, Islanders have made it very clear to me that they support both a ferry regulator and new entrants into the market. This Bill would create the former while I continue to champion the latter. “While the snap general election means this Bill will now have to wait, I said I would present a Bill in this Parliament and I have. “I promise that If I am re-elected on the 4th July, I will continue to proceed with this proposal, and championing the interests of Islanders more widely.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIE2v7HN6g4
Just in time for nothing to happen as parliament will be dissolved due to the election. Well done Bob!
Half a sausage, none of a bill.
Call me a sinic but our Bob seems on a ferry crusade recently after years of inaction. Surely nothing to do with him wanting to stay on the political gravy train for a few more years.
I’ll save everyone the bother
“While the snap general election means this Bill will now have to wait, I said I would present a Bill in this Parliament and I have.
“I promise that If I am re-elected on the 4th July, I will continue to proceed with this proposal,”
Extorted by the ferries, and now Bob Seeley trying to blackmail his way back into parliament.
Looks like Bob’s missed the boat on this one.
Ye got canceled lack of staff and or technical issues…or could’nt be arsd as was not fully filled ..wankers.
Current?
you mean outgoing!
Technically, he is the current MP until Parliament is dissolved on Friday.
Then he is a candidate (formerly a MP in the session ended in May 2024).
Who may become an ex-MP (outgoing) if not re-elected on July 4 (for the new constituency of West Wight). Or might be continuing as MP. But won’t know early July 5th.
Wow Bobs name has never been mentioned in the media as much…. Least he’s only 6 weeks to pretend he cares about us then off he can go back to just taking the money and not doing anything!!! How about tackling the island problems of people who vote that can only dream of buying a ferry ticket? Problems like paying the mortgage, bills or putting food on the table? But no because he’s only being to seen to do stuff that the rich will want and vote for him!! No X from me this time sausage boy!!
Five years he had to do this and now he does it when nothing can proceed. Seely truly is a complete waste of oxygen.
Bit late Bob Seely, that Bill should have been presented to Parliament years ago when you first became our MP. As you were contacted many times regarding the state and prices of crossing the Solent with both ferry companies. A vital service like this for Islanders is almost as important as Immigration is to us Nationally.
Take this is you last ditch attempt to cling onto your seat. Too little, Too late matey ! A West Island constituent family. Hopefully, bye bye ! V
Perhaps we may get a better MP who works harder for Island issues.
Rumours abound that you have family connections on the Board of Directors/Shares in the Company’s.
He does indeed have a family member works for one of the ferries so itll never ever change while hes our mp
I do believe that his sponsor works for White link
This bill didn’t have enough time to pass even if the election was delayed until the last possible date so thanks for the effort Bob, but don’t be under any illusion that we didn’t all see it as anything more than an empty publicity stunt.
Hasn’t anyone told this tosser that no bills will be passed as rich boy sunak has declared a general election, which his mates will lose, and we will be under a labour rule with unlimited immigration and gross spending on ego projects and in 4 or 5 years the country will be bankrupt just as it was the last time they were in power.
Does he think we are that gullible here.
What a waste of oxygen.
I promise if i am re elected? Too little too bloody late.your gone hopefully
Useless mp and defo not for the islanders
What an idiot – does nothing for years and now this. I hope the ‘hard of thinking’ don’t believe his garbage…
They believed Liz Truss so anything can happen !.
Why now he’s done nothing for years. He’s just trying to get elected and if people fall for it well.
You can’t make a private company do what you want at your will.
No, you can’t.
But he’s hoping enough people are gullible enough to believe they can.
Just like those gullible enough to believe Brexit would make us all better off and “stop the boats”.
Bit late half a sausage Bob
Mr Seely. Over 6,000 people are in WUG. Don’t pretend this is your work. WUG have embarrassed you into taking action. They have done the research, contacted the media, got the attention, written the reports. A good MP should have been ahead of the game and acted earlier. As others have said. This smells of a desperate attempt to get voted for West Wight.
Let’s just those 6000 people all get off their backsides get out there and NOT vote Tory for either of the constituencies we now have.
What Pop Up Bob needs to remember is the Tories aren’t for regulation and accountability and as soon as the election has occurred any promise he makes now will be soon forgotten if we have the misfortune for him to be re-elected.
I don’t remeber ever having seen a comments page so united in it’s opinion. It’s simply pathetic, @BobSeeleyMP, and too little, too late, doesn’t even come close to explaining it
Bob is at least trying to do the right thing.
Honestly Labour will be hated more than the Tories within a few short years.
There will be massive spending, and, for a short year or so, things will seem better, roads, schools, hospitals, etc, UNTIL the money has to be paid back.
Then businesses will start laying off people, and the knock on effect will be more business will fold, more unemployed, poverty will increase, and the ‘usual’ lot will burn and riot in the masses of places they are not infesting in the UK.
You will look back to now as the good times.
Not a scare mongering thing, as I know Labour will walk it, but just remember this and see if I am correct as I know I will be.
Yeah, because we don’t currently have the highest ever rates of personal taxation, do we?
Taxation mostly going on firefighting the fallout of years of Tory austerity.
“I promise that If I am re-elected on the 4th July, I will continue to proceed with this proposal, and championing the interests of Islanders more widely.” Why didn’t you do this at any point in the last four and a half years, Bob? Another empty gesture intended to impress the gulllible.
Funny how it’s only just being put in place when an election is up coming isn’t it.
Build a Bridge or Tunnel F.F.S
Whatever people think of it, a publicly owned fixed link is the only way to break the duopoly.
There’s no space to build berths for another ferry company.
Wave your saveloy in the air, I just don’t care…
A regulator is not the right answer. Requesting the CMA to investigate is the first step.
Full nationalisation is likely unaffordable.
Lower cost options:
1/ require all routes to be licensed by a body controlled (directly or indirectly) by voters on the island. Makes is easier for local council to subsidise services (same way bus routes can be subsidised by local council)
2/ Nationalise the island ferry ports (ideally mainland ones also), and allow them to be shared by multiple operators
3/ Require existing ferry operators to give up space in their ports for “open access” services (similar to open access trains services).v With fixed fees for rental of facilities.
At this late stage. Why has Bob Seely decided to act on the ferry companies. He knows that it will not get passed. I expect that when he out of a job son . He may be offered one with you guessed it ???
Too little, too late.
How do we know there’s an election imminent
“Keeping to his promise, Mr Seely – in one of his last acts as a sitting MP before Parliament is dissolved next week”????
Keeping his promise!!!
Come on Island Echo.
Seely knows this is going to go nowhere. It’s a private members bill which would have a snowballs chance in hell even if Parliament weren’t going to be dissolved, not no mention the fact that there’s a good chance he’ll be out of a job by August and, failing that, almost certainly going to be a nonentity on the opposition benches.
He knows this isn’t going to happen. It’s only purpose is electioneering.