Island Echo always welcome letters to the editor, which may of course not reflect the views of the publication and its staff.
This letter comes as national media report on the vulnerability of previously safe Conservative seats following the by-election results in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire last week.
Letter to the editor – 22nd October 2023
“I am prompted to write this letter after reading that the current Chancellor of the Exchequer (Jeremy Hunt – current majority 8817) is planning to resign before the next General Election because he fears that, if he stays on (and he has been selected for the new seat of Godalming and Ash), he will be swept away in a ‘Portillo’ moment – something he desperately wants to avoid.
Article continues below this advertisement “There are several reasons to believe that the Isle of Wight will elect at least 1 Labour member of parliament at the next general election, defeating the Tory incumbent Bob Seely. Here are some of them:
“• The Isle of Wight has a history of voting for different parties, not just the Conservatives. In the past, it has elected Liberal, Liberal Democrat, and Independent MPs, as well as Labour candidates in local elections. This shows that the Islanders are open to change and no longer loyal to any 1 party.
“• The Tory government has been plagued by scandals and sleaze, which have damaged its reputation and credibility. From the Partygate affair that forced Boris Johnson to resign as prime minister and MP, to the sexual misconduct allegations against several Tory MPs, to the Wallpapergate saga that exposed Johnson’s lavish spending on his Downing Street flat, the Conservatives have shown themselves to be out of touch, dishonest, and corrupt. Many voters may be disillusioned with the Tories and look for an alternative.
“• The Labour Party has a clear and ambitious vision for the country, which appeals to many voters who want a fairer and greener society. Under Keir Starmer’s leadership, Labour has announced policies such as zero carbon energy by 2030, investing in the NHS and education, reversing Tory tax cuts for the rich, and tackling climate change by legislating to reduce emissions. Labour has also shown itself to be competent and responsible in holding the government to account and offering constructive criticism and solutions.
“• The Isle of Wight is facing many challenges that Labour can address, such as poverty, unemployment, housing, transport, and health. According to the latest statistics, the island has a higher than average rate of child poverty (28.6% compared to 22.4% nationally), a lower than average rate of employment (69.8% compared to 75.1% nationally), a shortage of affordable housing (with average house prices being 10 times higher than average incomes), poor transport links (with ferry fares being among the most expensive in the world which Labour will commit to regulating. Island ferry services are currently cash-cows for their foreign owners), and an underfunded and overstretched health service (with long waiting times and staff shortages).
Article continues below this advertisement “Labour has pledged to tackle these issues by investing in public services, creating jobs, building new homes, making renting fairer, and improving transport infrastructure.
“These are some of the compelling arguments that suggest that the Isle of Wight will elect at least 1 Labour MP at the next general election, defeating the Tory incumbent. The Islanders deserve better than a Conservative government that has let them down time and time again.
“They deserve a Labour government that will work for them and deliver real change”.
Stewart Blackmore
Having a laugh voting labour , khan and his crooks all ready taxing the lowest earners with the ulez scheme
Khan and Burnham are after pushing out Starmer.
Either way we are doomed!
Starmer is Blairs puppet and Khan is Schwabs puppet
“A labour government which will work for them and deliver real change”. You mean like last time Labour was in power and took us into a war over imaginary weapons of mass destruction and left the country bankrupt leading to many years of austerity. No thank you, never again.
Yeah, the last time Labour were in power.
You know, when we could get an NHS dentist, see a GP on the same day, not have to wait 2 years for an operation, taxes were lower (yes, they were. Look it up) and our real-terms wages were higher.
That Labour.
Yeah, Blair lied about WMD.
The Tories lie about everything, constantly, obviously, and blatantly.
If the choice is between Labour and another 5 years of the self-serving, incompetent, arrogant, useless scum that currently run the country, I’ll take Labour every time.
Well said, but they could do with ditching Starmer hevis a tory wearing labours colours
“left the country bankrupt leading to many years of austerity”
Oh how the Tory lies spread…
The major cause of the issues that led to the years of Tory driven Austerity, was the Financial crash of 2008. A major contribution to which was wildly speculative and risky banking practices, allowed and encouraged by the Tory’s deregulation of the banking industry.
Yes,.. the crash happend when Labour were in power, but it was caused by the Tory’s policies in their previous tenure.
and they have just, once again, removed the Cap on Greedy Bankers Bonuses!!
(probably hoping that the whole scenario will play out again during the next, (non-conservative) government, & then they can come back again and re-introduce Austerity
Im so glad the Strong and Stable Tories have reduced the national debt since they took over.
What what? They actually tripled it?!?
What people don’t seem to understand is whether voting
Conservative, Labour or Lib Dems.
Same Leader Mr Schwab.
Do your research, so many people don’t have a clue.
Keir Starmer said live on TV that he himself prefers Davos than he does
Westminster.
Says it all doesn’t it!
What is happening is the Tories gave a vote on Brexit, expecting a stay vote , and almost forcing such via operation project fear.
As it backfired, despite the EU and the then US president not wanting us out the problem was the Tories had to be seen to abide by the vote to show democracy is still alive in the UK.
So now Tories will DELIBERATELY lose next GE to allow Labour in to trash fully the economy, so the Tories can ride to rescue but ONLY with a “new deal “ with EU which will resemble the old deal in all but ‘saying’ we have rejoined.
The plebs never get their way for long and this way democracy is seen to have been done as world politics more important than British politics
Real Brexit never happened
Just as well,
as the ‘brexit’ that did happen has already done so much, irreparable, long term damage to the UKs economy and future prospects….
enjoy having your kids raped by migrants then lmao
There are enough of home grown rapists sadly, not that that justify such a moronic and sick comment another alias same old rhetoric Seamus you life must be tedious and far to much time reading the “Day Fail”!
>>>/pol/ is that way mate
And that was a party political broadcast on behalf of the labour party. So now we know that IE is not an impartial site, just a labour rag. If not, let’s see them publish letters of support for all the other political parties…
It would be a pretty tough job doing PR for the Conservatives at the moment, Their behaviour and performance over the last few years have been shameful and abysmal. They should hang their heads in shame and walk away.
All political parties are as bad as one another and voting for another party will not make anything any better. I do not support any party as I believe all politicians are consumate liars, but I do find it strange that so many people say the Tories have treated them so badly when they let them sit on their arses at home for two years while paying their wages for them. Do people think that wasn’t going to come at a cost? You would have to be pretty naive if you did. The war in Ukraine has also had a huge impact on energy prices which has had the knock on effect of putting up all prices. A lesson learned about depending on other countries for your oil and gas. A Labour government will be even worse, mark my words.
Maybe you should pay a bit more attention. Blackmore was the Labour candidate in 2015, so he’s obviously going to be pro Labour.
This is also a letter. Just like IE (and the County Press, OnTheWight, etc) publish letters from other political figures (Seely, Lowthion, etc) they published this. It is the opinion of the letter writer, nothing else.
It wasn’t a letter though, it was just a labour party advert. I haven’t seen anything similar for or from any other political campaigner.
“I haven’t seen anything similar for or from any other political campaigner”
Well, perhaps they haven’t bothered to write one….
Because they haven’t written one. Maybe you should?
I am open to change. I won’t be voting for anyone
All are a bunch of useless ********
Lower the Council Tax and scrap 24/7 365 days a year
parking along seafronts and I may consider voting
Lol
Who was it who said ‘whoever you vote for the Government get in’? For the first time in my life I’m not voting in a General Election
I fully agree with you.
Absolutely no point in voting and I also will not be voting for the first time in my life at the General Election.
That also goes for local elections as well.
I, on the other hand, will absolutely be voting…
don’t so much care who for, as long as it does whatever possible to get the lying, scheming, corrupt, immoral CONservatives out of government!
My voting days are over, all are a bunch of useless *****
I will vote for someone who will sort the islands infrastructure out. Scrapping the floaty, bridge over the medina to easy traffic flows.
Sort the ferry’s. Knock down the burnt out hotels of Sandown, reduce parking charges so we are not paying city prices and stick two fingers up to the 3 main political parties.
Good luck with that, as I think you will find that such a person does not exist.
50p to have a p@ss in Sandown and these t’wats
want people to vote for them, they are having a laugh.
Given the support of both major parties to the ongoing genocide in gaza I shall not be voting for anyone in fact I am ashamed to be English at the moment
“Blackmore” still around!!! I thought he had hid away and disappeared after his last effort!
They are all a bunch of crooks, there may not be much of a labour party left at this rate before a general election anyway. The tories are already finished as the only thing they can agree on is more money in their own pockets.
Add NOTA to the ballot paper and watch the country vote another big surprise.
Conservatives, labour, lib dems ,green party !!!! Independent…
All promise the earth and deliver beggar all !!!!!
Look at the alliance party on our little island,,,,, bickering arguing and basically doing absolutely nothing to benefit the islanders…..
Each and everyone smirking smarmy grins ,and acting like clowns……..
And all blaming someone else ??????
We only need to look at services cut, due to wasting money on the floating bridge, and the cover up surrounding it ….
Think who was involved in buying that ????
They are still on the council…….
Looks like the editor of the Island Echo allows pure Labour propaganda.