Councillor Joe Robertson, Leader of the Conservatives on the Isle of Wight Council, has launched his campaign to become his Party’s candidate for the new Isle of Wight East constituency.
With Bob Seely re-selected as Conservative candidate for the West Wight it had been widely expected that Cllr Robertson would run for the East.
Confirming his candidacy, Cllr Robertson said:
“It is a huge honour to represent residents on the Isle of Wight Council and campaign about the things that matter most to Islanders like affordable housing, local NHS funding and regeneration of our towns. It would be an even greater honour to have the opportunity to champion the East Wight in Parliament and build on the work I have already started.”
Cllr Robertson is an in-house adviser to a national dementia charity having previously worked as a family and children lawyer. He stood for Parliament in 2019 coming a close 2nd in Labour’s traditionally safe heartland of Erith and Thamesmead. He has also previously served as a governor of 2 Island Primary Schools, as a local trustee of Citizens Advice and as President of the Island branch of Campaign to Protect Rural England.
Some familiar names are backing Cllr Robertson including Wayne Whittle, former Cabinet Member for Business and Regeneration on the Isle of Wight Council, and Chris Quirk, the Mayor of Shanklin.
Mr Whittle said:
“Joe is a local boy. He grew up on the Island and knows what makes the East Wight tick because he is one of us. He would be a serious and hardworking MP in Parliament speaking up for residents and local businesses. The next election will be the toughest in a generation and without Joe standing, the Conservatives may struggle to win.”
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Former Government minister, Lord Brabazon of Tara, and dementia campaigner, Lady Grylls, are also backing Cllr Robertson to become the new Conservative candidate and MP.
The vote on who will stand for the Conservatives in the East is expected in the coming weeks, with Joe looking likely to go up against Harriet Hadfield, Ian Wellby and Isaac Farnbank.
Sorry, but anyone standing as a Conservative will never get my vote..
I’m so pleased about this. Joe has done a stirling job of licking the brown envelopes over the years and he deserves to be recognised for all the good work he has done in helping to buy votes and making the rich richer.
Do you need a doctor’s appointment? Waiting for an investigation at hospital? Want to swim in the sea? Is your energy bill extortionate? Weekly shop a bit pricey? Having rent because there are no houses to buy? No? Vote Conservative.
If yes, then don’t because they have trashed this country over 13 years. They ‘deliver’ for their mates. Not you.
Lady someone and lord Barbies son are backing him, glad that he is a man of the people.
not long now and all the Tory voters will have died off thank god.,
Come on Greenies, we need to oust this shower of a government.
If you want to save this country, remember ABC.
Anything But Conservative.
Hardly works as a tactic. A concerted effort is needed to back a single candidate to oust the Tory (soon to be Tories). Problem is that the alternatives are also fairly lame. The Green candidate should be backed out of common sense but this will be an impossible choice for many and islanders do not vote Labour (never done anything for the island). Hence, there will be no united vote to stop the Tory candidates.
Sadly, you are correct.
With the left-of-centre vote being split 3 ways by the Greens, LibDems and Labour there is the potential for the Tories to win with less than a 3rd of the votes.
Not really a fan of election pacts as I believe that people should be able to vote for who they choose, but another term of a Tory Government, particularly if they are elected after the utter mess they have made, represents a real danger to this country.
If they get back into power after all they have done they will feel they can do whatever they like to whoever they like.
The only solution is if LibDems and Labour don’t put candidates forward. Similar things have happened before.
Labour are only going to win because the Tories are so bad. Terrible way to run a country where you only get a change of government when the current one is really bad. The result, the country goes down the tubes.
Just what we DON’T need another bloody tory. Wow look at all those promises, don’t fall for it, not again for christ sake.