The gaping divide between Island MPs on the Government’s devolution vision shows no signs of narrowing following news of delayed Isle of Wight elections.
In light of the Isle of Wight’s inclusion in Whitehall’s fast-track devolution programme on Wednesday, MP for Isle of Wight East, Joe Robertson (Conservative) and MP for Isle of Wight West, Richard Quigley (Labour) offered markedly differing verdicts on what Islanders can expect.
The Government said the 6 areas joining the programme – Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Norfolk and Suffolk, Greater Essex, Sussex and Brighton and Hampshire and Solent – will get ‘sweeping new powers’. The programme will put them on the fast track to deliver ‘growth, opportunities, transport and housing for local communities’.
Mr Quigley, who is also the current Isle of Wight councillor for Cowes North, says:
“The announcement shows the government is serious about delivering change, and giving greater control to communities like ours.
“The Isle of Wight Council is rightly working to ensure Islanders get the best deal. Being part of the priority programme for devolution will give us a voice, and it’ll give us a bigger say in the Island’s future.
“I appreciate there has been some concern over the postponement of local elections, but it should allow council officers the time and resources needed to focus on planning for devolution and opportunities that lie ahead.”
In contrast, Joe Robertson, the current Isle of Wight councillor for Bembridge, has said:
“The very existence of the Isle of Wight Council is now under threat. This is no longer just about a shared mayor with Hampshire but whether we merge our own council with part of the mainland.
“The Deputy Prime Minister was very clear that local elections are only being cancelled in places where the local council may cease to exist after the negotiations.
“She confirmed the Isle of Wight is one of those councils. When I asked specifically if reorganising the Isle of Wight Council was part of the negotiations, she replied: nothing is off the table.”
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said that a delayed elections decision had only been agreed in places “central to our manifesto promise to deliver devolution” after “careful consideration”.
She told the House of Commons:
“We are not in the business of holding elections to bodies that will not exist, and where we do not know what will replace them.
“This would be an expensive and irresponsible waste of taxpayers’ money, and any party calling for those elections to go ahead must explain how this waste would be justifiable.
“To that end, I have agreed to postpone local elections in East Sussex and West Sussex, in Essex and Thurrock, in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and in Norfolk and Suffolk.”
Devolution means some major decisions are taken out of Westminster’s hands and put into ours. The council isn’t under threat…the potential for vested interests are when making those centralised decisions are…like contracts etc. Or, jobs which require middle men, with middle men added on charges. One of these two parties would quite like things to stay the same, please. One wants this practice to stop so we can all move forward, as they have in places like Manchester. See if you can work out which is which in the time it takes to work out if it’s a viable proposition here. You’ve got time while the local elections are put on hold, not cancelled.
The island is stuck in a time warp and devolution
would be great for the island, bring the island into the
21st century.
There are too many Numpty’s on the island who dislike
the mainland, they don’t mind using mainland hospitals
though.
Bring it on, show islanders what they are missing,
majority of Islanders parents etc moved to the island
from the mainland, so get with it.
You really talk out of your rear end don’t you, all everybody gets out of your numpty head is blah blah blah, give it a rest, you sound just like that prat running the country
The Isle of Wight has already lost its identity, we are being referred to as a stretch of water, “Hampshire and Solent”
Just saying!!!
Most expensive stretch of water in the world
This is why having 2 MP’s was the most rediculous idea for a small island
Bob achieved more than these 2 clowns put together
Come back Bob.
Of course our lap dog quigley supports this current dictatorship, remember he voted to take away pensioners heating allowances and voted to hammer farmers with inheritance taxes and is a member of the party which has caused thousands of job losses and business to close or relocate abroad.
By stopping elections they are destroying our right to representation and democracy.
I trust Mr P more than I do Quigley,
he didn’t attack our pensioners well being
or our farmers.
We do not want to be lumped in with a council on the mainland. Being an island, our needs are completely different to those on the mainland.
We’re not lumped in with a council. We retain our council. Look up the facts.
We need diversity on the island, bring it on
the extra children can fill the empty classrooms
Lol
Saves shutting down schools
I can see the logic behind devolution and decision making being closer to the areas those decisions affect. However, in the case of both Island MPs, isn’t the concept rather lost since both are MPs and both are Councillors. Moving decisions from one body to another just for the same people (albeit wearing different hats) to be involved in decisions wherever they are taken seems somewhat like moving round the deckchairs on a sinking ship.
Quigley isn’t allowed to have a mind or opinion of his own and the other one is only allowed a modicum of self determination whilst in opposition. High time the whipping system was abolished, but then MPs might have to not only think for themselves, but, heaven forfend, take notice of their constituents, most of whom do not wish to be subsumed into a mainland-dominated quango, led by a dictator, who will, without doubt, neglect the Island even more than it is now.