The new ‘Our Island’ movement has formally announced its first candidates for the Isle of Wight Council local elections due to take place in May 2021.
The candidates are standing in the wards of Sandown South, Ventnor West, Ryde North West, Shanklin South and Brading & St Helens.
In addition to looking for its own candidates, Our Island will be working with existing Council members, candidates from other groups and Independent candidates who agree with the aims of Our Island, in order to ‘maximise the chances’ of electing a Council in 2021 that is focussed on working together for the interests of the Isle of Wight. Details of these working arrangements will be announced in due course.
Candidates announced today (Monday) include:
• Pauline Evans – Sandown South
• Phil Warren – Ventnor West
• Richard May – Ryde North West
• Mike Hailston – Shanklin South
• Jonathan Bacon – Brading and St Helens

The group have also outlined the key aims they will be taking forward into the election…
- The Isle of Wight Council will be restructured to meet the actual needs of Islanders in the 21st Century; to make it more cost-effective and responsive to the needs of residents and to enable reversal of the ongoing cuts in services, in particular those affecting children’s services and social care.
- Our Island will work closely with Town and Parish Councils to devolve power to them over local issues and include them in decision making on planning issues. Local residents and businesses will be involved in developing policy and decision making.
- Our Island will support local business. They will sell off the depreciating assets in mainland industrial parks and invest locally and will support High Streets and local businesses with free parking strategies and adjust business rates to support startups. They will also take action against and penalise those who wilfully leave buildings derelict.
- Working with Bob Seely MP, Our Island will get Government to recognise that the Island is an island by means of an Island Act, with a proper funding settlement, a local approach to planning that recognises the local needs for housing and the imposition of a Public Service Obligation on cross Solent services to control fares and the regularity of sailings.
- Our Island will work to increase protection of the unique environment and support the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Island’s status as a UNESCO Biosphere.
Our Island are still welcoming potential candidates who would like to stand in the 2021 local elections, including those who are interested in standing for their Town and Parish Councils. The group will be announcing further candidates and details of working arrangements with other groups and Independent candidates in the coming weeks.
Further information about Our Island and its aims can be found at www.ourislandiw.com.




























































































Pale, Male and Stale springs to mind….
So you would like an 18 year old female with a tan or am I missing your point?
Ed, likely she would ban the ballot box, and someone ‘high’ would read the entrails of a slaughtered goat to choose the leader.
Best she leaves and takes it’s unpatriotic attitude and no doubt buggy full with it.
oh give it a rest zoe will you. These people have chosen to put theirselves forward to try to do something, what is it that you are doing apart from sitting at home, being a bandwagon jumper. How about you get into the 21st century and realise that gender, skin pigmentation or age is not relevant, only skill set, ability and desire matter.
I really wish that you racist, sexist and ageist individuals would confine yourselves to the 20th century, so we can forget about you.
Zoe, whilst the inclusion of females would be nice to see, and I am sure, given time we will gain some, as we see on our screens daily, many have lost any faith in the other group you hinted at who, when they have held power, have more often than not, used that power for the greatest crimes against not only their rivals, but even their own people.
Now, as we see so often, it seems to be more about such people attempting to settle old ‘scores’ and trying to push blame for their own ‘waywardness’ rather than to concentrate on the future.
All lands and people’s could hold onto the hideous ‘past’ and Britain could ‘hate’ modern peoples because Romans invaded, or hate the Nordics because of the Viking raids, or the French for endless raids, or more recently the Germans for killing and destroying, or the Japanese etc etc.
Yet, we move on, and realise and remember the past, to hopefully ‘learn’ from it, not use it as ‘an excuse’ for the rest of eternity to ‘gain a free ride’ or to use as a means of justifying hate revenge acts, on those who weren’t even born when many of the undoubted unjustifiable acts took place.
Try looking at such peoples past, and current behaviour, and check out leaders from, Uganda and Rwanda amongst many other such lands, and that is within living memory. Check out the stats on the vilest of crimes for such too, and you, IF honest, will see that many are not the innocent victims and genteel souls you would have us all believe.
sadly kerry, you lost all support in your comment at…
many have lost any faith in the other group you hinted at who, when they have held power, have more often than not, used that power for the greatest crimes against not only their rivals.
……
associating actions of individuals or groups with their skin colour or gender, is no different than saying, the reason they were tryants was because they all wore grey jackets. – Get the point
Leeches,
Yes, how ‘silly’ of me.
I never realised until YOU pointed it out, that as amazing as it is, the mere ‘coincidence’ that wherever a certain type chooses to upsticks and live en-masse that wherever this occurs, anywhere on the globe, that the same vile crimes, disharmony, and overcrowding and poverty then appears.
Thank you for putting me straight.
I get the ‘point’ now.
I see that YOU are sadly mistaken, but have to upper hand as the truth can no longer be told, which IF it were ‘my types thinking’ which was so very wrong or idiotic, could, and would be merely dismissed as ‘silly talk’ with no ‘need’ to stifle such.
As if so idiotic, like believing the Earth to be flat et al, then the idiocy of such thoughts and comments would then, themselves prove the flawed or wrong thinking.
Hence, this then high level banning of open discussion is instrumental in ‘proving’ who is ‘more’ correct here, for if just an idiot speaking, why bother, as the ‘normal’ in society would ‘see’ such for what it truly was, foolish talk.
There are of course mitigation factors and ‘exceptions’ on all sides of any viewpoint. But ‘exceptions’ are, just that, exceptions to the rule.
I get the point that putting on a hoody, WON’T make the new wearer a ‘thug’
So long as YOU understand that a ‘thug’ is already likely to be a majority of those buying a hoodie.
Banning the sale of ‘hoodies’ won’t alter what is contained within that handy often correct identifying wrapper.
Forcing a thug to wear a suit, may well give false acceptance of the thug to others, and a very few will change their ways, but exceptions are, just that, exceptions, and are used to justify the few who alter have ‘come good’, whilst ignoring the growing ranks who never will and outweigh the ‘gains’ of the few who do change.
Are you not pale then? It is alright to be white.
Funniest comment I have read in ages,get a sense of humour.
MM, why do YOU think ‘the people who can’t be blamed…’ refers to race?
Why do you think the comment about those whom our grand parents had issues with were anything to do with a different race?
Seems like YOU are the racist one, drawing such conclusions here.
Or likely just a trouble maker.
The old saying ‘IF the cap fits…’ still holds true.
Flights to sunnier climes will come back soon, perhaps a one way ticket is in order Zoe, take the entire brood, and maybe you will all be happier, we would. A win win?
Yet you know where you are best off, and sadly you will still ‘be here’ catered to from crib to grave.
Guarantee all of these responses come from Tory middle aged white men. I think Zoe was trying to point out the clear lack of diversity we have on the Island, to put it nicely.
…… and next?
They will be sitting at their county hall desks shaking with fear (not) at the thought that lot is coming to sort ’em out.
And so much for free speech Echo Admin?
Why has my reply to Zoe been taken off, it was an honest polite reply?
Thanks for it’s return Echo.
All issues on all sides need to be heard and discussed openly, so long as there is no ‘avoidable’ nastiness, otherwise just ‘how’ can we see each others, or some of their ‘points’ of views to ever reconsider our own possibly flawed thinking?
The saying: “Just because what I say ‘offends you’, doesn’t necessarily mean that what I say is ‘wrong’ is most apt in many of these circumstances.”
Yes, free non malicious speech should be a recognised constitutional right.
I thought wow! a new part on the island then i saw Jonathan Bacon’s name and my
whole body drooped. He was one of the worst Council leaders we have ever had, did
nothing for the island at al,l i thought he had given up politics to spend more time on his
holiday properties near Godshill.
In my opinion it seems , same as in Government, older people tend to want to rule as it was when they were youngt, they do not seem many of the times to have moved on in life. I cannot think of how a say 60 year old would know what young teens are up to, or even young adults, whom will be taking their place in years to come.. I do not mind whom gets voted in, as long as they look forward for all Islanders, stop living in the past, do not just do what the council wants, listen to the people, not just the aged ones either !! Everyone should have a say..
more clowns honk honk
Not only are all these men, (why just men?), not Dave or Ian, but the only one I’ve ever seen operating – Jonathan Bacon – has a VERY good head on his shoulders. So I would support them on the basis of ‘him’.
Very pleased to see Mr May here, his many years as a dedicated and much loved (and sorely missed) headteacher of a primary school will give him a wealth of expertise in the field of politics, if he can calmly handle a bunch of squabbling 5yr olds then he has plenty enough experience to take on County Hall!