Isle of Wight East MP, Joe Robertson, has met with the Labour Minister for Local Government, Alison McGovern, to challenge the Government over planned cuts to funding for the Island.
As previously reported by Island Echo, Isle of Wight Council Leader Phil Jordan has sent a letter to the Minister warning that the Island faces a ‘serious and immediate financial challenge’.
In response, Mr Robertson has challenged the Minister on Labour’s funding package for the Isle of Wight under the Fair Funding Review, which will see overall funding reduced by £13.4million over the next 3 years.
He warned that the decision demonstrates a fundamental failure by the Government to understand, or even acknowledge, the realities of Island life.
Mr Robertson highlighted the Isle of Wight’s unique position, separated from the mainland by the Solent and entirely dependent on unregulated, privately owned and debt-laden ferry companies.
He stressed that these structural disadvantages increase the cost of delivering public services and place additional pressure on the workforce. Mr Jordan’s letter said that the Government’s funding review put the Council in a “substantially and materially worse financial position.”
Mr Robertson said:
“I met with the Local Government Minister to make the case for an improved financial settlement for our Council over the next 3 years. The previous Government gave us an extra £8 million uplift in its last 2 years which was not sufficient but the current Government is reducing funding. The Island is in a uniquely disadvantaged position compared to the mainland when it comes to delivering services and the Government needs to re-look at the funding methodology used, not just in the short-term, but for future situations as well.”
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As a result of the meeting, Minister McGovern has confirmed she will write to the Maritime Minister, Keir Mather, following pressure from Mr Robertson and building on his ongoing work to secure fairer cross-Solent transport arrangements.
Got to hand it to Joe, he keeps trying, much more than the
other island MP.
Only 1 party to vote for at the next election Conservative.
Reform don’t and won’t have a clue and Labour have shown
us their skills in the past 18 months.
It’s Conservative for me, better the devil you know, financially
the country was in a better position when Conservatives were in
office.
That’s the difference between private and state education
And here ends the Party Political Post on behalf of the Conservative Party…
Mr Robertson did his best but all he has actually secured is a promise from the Minister to write to another Minister about the ferries which will take nothing anywhere.
Where is the other Island MP, all the policies he supported, Starmer has U turned on.
You are going to be disappointed as latest polling shows both iow seats will be going to reform with vote share of42%east wight and 43% west wight.
It’s because a majority are white people, throw a few immigrants in the works and that’ll soon change the outcome