In a series of interviews with all candidates standing for Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight, Island Echo went to the house of pro-fixed link activist, Carl Feeney, who has entered the race to campaign for a ‘freedom tunnel’.
Businessman Carl was born on the Isle of Wight and went to Cowes High school. He completed a carpentry apprenticeship at the Isle of Wight College. Carl has run a Mexican Restaurant in Newport and a yacht charter business in Cowes. He currently runs a property rental business on the Island. He has been campaigning for a fixed link to the mainland for the last 5 years.
Carl lives with his partner, Linda, and their 18-year-old daughter in Newport.
Why do you feel a fixed link, the so-called ‘freedom tunnel’, is so important for the Isle of Wight?
“The only way to fix the Island transport situation is through a tunnel. It will take up no land, you won’t see it, you won’t hear it, and it won’t divide communities.
“The lack of a fixed link has resulted in the ongoing degradation of tourism, health care and career opportunities for the young. We need qualified employees with a high skill set for health and education.
“I’ve devoted five years of my life to campaign for a fixed link because I want the best for the Island. Without connectivity, we shall sink. I want to make the Island exclusive not excluded.
You regard the ‘freedom tunnel as a matter of ‘life and death’ for the Island. Could you explain?
“More doctors than I can count on the fingers of my hand have approached me to express their support for a fixed link. I’m not talking only about GPs, but also heads of departments at St Mary’s. They have told me of the need to get acute patients across the Solent in emergencies. They would like to go public on this, but politics is beyond their remit as health professionals.
The lack of connectivity is literally killing Islanders. This is especially true with ever greater numbers of elderly people coming to live on the Island. Some of these people will die because of the isolation”.
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Won’t a freedom tunnel destroy the uniqueness of the Island?
“The Island’s ‘uniqueness’ is that people are dying and getting ripped off by the ferry companies”.
Won’t a tunnel lead to ever greater traffic congestion?
“Traffic can be regulated by adjusting the tolls. If we want people to come, we can reduce the tolls. If we don’t want them here, we can increase the price of their coming to the Island. For example, we can decrease the tolls in winter to attract visitors in the close season”.
Bob Seely believes the cost of a tunnel to be prohibitive. What is your response?
“The cost would be between 2 and 3 billion pounds. The tunnel would pay for itself. Bob Seely is protecting the ferry companies. His cousin is part of Red Funnel. Isn’t it an amazing coincidence that Patrick Seely joined the board after Bob became MP. He has been negligent in his role as MP in finding information with regard to a fixed link”.
What is your position on Brexit?
“We should either stay completely or leave completely. A deal will leave us in protracted negotiations for ten years while being subservient to 27 other countries. We shall have no leverage while we are paying the fees. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson will be lobbied by big business for their own agendas, not those of the country’s.
Do you have a chance of getting elected?
“Yes. Bob Seely is incredibly unpopular. Not one person has anything complimentary to say about him. I offer freedom. I offer solutions to cross-Solent woes”.
Apart from your position on a ‘freedom tunnel’, what other policies do you offer?
“If elected, I wouldn’t attempt to impose my views on Islanders. I would give residents the opportunity to instruct me in a clear and transparent manner, either via online forums or face-to-face.
You have been accused by another candidate of making derogatory remarks about East Cowes to further your campaign. What is your response?
I merely repeated the derogatory remarks local residents had made about local politicians and expressed their disenchantment with the political system. East Cowes could become a very attractive town without the giant marshalling yard being there. This would allow for its regeneration. The traffic that currently pollutes the town would simply disappear into a hole in Whippingham”.
Finally, what do you believe the other candidates for the Member of Parliament for the Isle of Wight have to offer?
“In my opinion, all candidates have something to offer apart from Karl Love. Daryll Pitcher (pro-Brexit independent) has a very strong agenda for leave (as I do). Vix Lowthion (Green) has her heart genuinely set on improving the planet, although her policies don’t seem realistic. Richard Quigley (Labour) has a great sense of humour. And what does Bob Seely (Conservative) have to offer? His resignation”.
Good luck Carl. I hope Seely gets the boot. He has done very little good in two years for the Island people. The Island is not his main home, and his bias towards the ferries is borderline corrupt.
Remember, fellow Islanders, this Island is unique, it needs an MP who cares about the local people and their prospects, not their own career.
Crime would rise, every queue you are now ‘stuck’ in would be ten times worse during the summer. We would get inundated with all the beggars, rough sleepers, and other ne’er do wells, who atm can’t afford the fare, but would scrounge a lift if a tunnel was made.
Gangs of yobs would come over for drunken rampages, not so easy now.
Huge amounts of our lovely countryside would disappear forever as people from Portsmouth etc used the Island as their home, whilst working back there.
The roads would never cope without becoming intolerable in Summer, and the Winter would see bored streams of day trippers. Theft would rise. As would all crime, as the faster one can escape the higher the temptation.
I can’t understand how THICK people are. Surely they ‘want to live here because it is different’ yet clearly it is ONLY different because we don’t have the same levels of cars, crime, scroungers etc and DENSITY of houses and businesses here and the lower pay, narrower roads, seasonal jobs, high ferry cost and the fuss of ‘getting on and off’ make and KEEP it different.
I suggest anyone who really thinks you can have the best of both worlds is THICK, and that ‘many’ want it for other reasons, knowing it will ruin the Islands unique character BUT will make money from such so they will move away to another area to live, once they have ruined, not for a while, but forever this wonderful Isle.
Luckily people here feel much the same, and only the dim or those with a vested interest will vote for this traitor to the Isle.
I agree entirely. When I moved here after a spell of living in Kent, I notified my vehicle insurer and my insurance premium halved.
Entirely agree with you. If you don’t like living on an island , go back to the mainland and leave our island alone. I’m voting for Seely.
“Our Island” but I’ve lived here all my life, where do I go? Seldom seen Seely, one of the lowest number of local surgirs held and one of the lowest attendance I the house. Great representative we have, and before you accuse me I’d being a lefty, I voted for him last time. Not again. At least Andrew Turner had the Isle if Wights interest at heart. Mr Seely is a career politician and is on a mission to get a cabinet post in the foreign office. Lord help us.
“Gangs of yobs would come over for drunken rampages, not so easy now.”
Are you on this planet? Everyone isn’t just waiting on the coastline of portsmouth in hope of one day making it to the evergreen Isle of Wight. It’s just a place. A very unuderfunded, run down and desperate place with few jobs, high levels of drug problems and almost no central funding.
Why do you think gangs of yobs would suddenly decide to drive over for a rampage, is it a massive problem across the country, inter-town yob sprees?
Please calm down.
Watch and learn, it won’t all be Mrs and Mrs Timble, pottering over for a Cream Tea.
What a crock of horse poop you’ve just come up with. All of the changes needed would be made to suit the growth. Land would be protected and existing properties I would say would be upgraded to suit a wealthier and mor prosperous island. More money generated, more police to tackle the influx of undesirables flocking in their zillions? . Tolls to limit the amount of visitors just like the ferries, because that’s what they’re doing. At least there will be freedom. There’s a hell of a lot of run down properties, no need to create more estates. Bodies put in place to protect our countryside. Its endless the obvious precautions that can be put in place. Anything is possible with the right planning. Anyway I’m boring myself now. This subject HAS to be approached and sagging someone off for it is dangerous for the future of the island
Yes, look at all those drug rabid Glaswegians that have invaded the Isle of Skye since they have had a bridge. I’m sorry you think all of us who support a fixed link are THICK. Most of us have looked around the world and seen the benefits where this kind of investment has been made. I only hope you never have to experience needing treatment for cancer where you have to make daily trips whilst feeling dreadful. Or visiting an ill relative in Southampton daily for 6 weeks after heart surgery. You might just change your mind.
@Nick
your an idiot – the isle of skye barely has 10,000 people on it. There is not the drug market structure in place for rabid drug addled Glaswegians to turn up. The isle of wight has over 130k people already here and a thriving drug market, with easily accessible sources of supply. Not a realistic comparison.
you haven’t “looked around the world” … you just googled it, from your home, like all other armchair liars.
stop trying to guilt trip people – perhaps if there weren’t the discontinuance of services at St Marys then people wouldn’t need to travel over to the mainland.
travel still has to be undertaken for treatment, whether it be in a bus by road, or on a ferry. The argument is flawed – the journey time from pompey to southampton is one hour by road or rail.
How long would you be sat in a car, driving from your home, to the access road to a tunnel then through the tunnel, then out into another county, then have to drive back down into Portsmouth to reach the QA hospital – think that would be any less time, sat in a traffic queue on the M275 waiting to re-enter the city – clearly you do not drive around Pompey much
Nah some of us hate living here but are stuck, and there are absolutely no jobs and people wonder why young people leave this island lmao I think the “thick” person might be you, who’s going to look after you when you’re old if everyone has moved away hmm?
@quentin,
so, how has the islands population managed to keep going for the last few thousand years without the need for a link to the mainland.
How is it that the population of the island has steadily increased to where it is now and there are all these properties being built to accommodate more people relocating.
Houses are cheaper, rents are cheaper, insurance is cheaper because there is no fixed link and it is an island with a slower pace of life.
I know a number of people who live here purposely because it is cheaper to commute to the mainland by ferry than live in pompey.
£1800 annual ticket with wightlink by direct debit and used for 48 weeks of the year (four weeks annual leave) equates to £37.50 per week. This means Commuting to work each day works out at £7.50 per day or £3.75 per crossing on the fastcat. That is the same price as one way to Newport from Ryde on southern vectis.
You think a toll charge for those without a car in to be transported through a tunnel would be any cheaper for commuters- dream on.
Inbreeding.
just look after yourself, if you can’t do that you’re no better than a toddler
Arguing that people are THICK for having a different view to you…. well how intelligent of you.
I’m guessing you didn’t ask him why he put in his leaflet that the Island is full of depravity then?
I believe he says ‘far less depravation’ – ie corruption and bad situations!
depravation
Thesaurus Share It
Definitions of
depravation
1
nmoral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles
Considering some bloke got done for wanking in his driveway recently, he’s not wrong!!
Two or three billion pounds, you say? To help with elderly and dying patients at St Mary’s?
Now here’s a thought: Freedom 90, Solent Express and Island Express are all still available to buy at a fraction of that money. Make one of those into a ‘hover ambulance’ and fly it up the Medina to whichever mainland hospital required.
Give it to St Mary’s or the RNLI (there would still be more than adequate funding for a few years for running costs, again at a fraction of the cost of a bridge) and everyone would benefit.
And without all the unecessary digging and disruption!
What happens when there’s a slight breeze and the newly formed ‘hover ambulance’ can’t operate?
But the hospital is being downgraded because Doctors etc will not works here the ferries are too expensive etc Have any of these anti people had to travel to mainland when Ill – I loved my time here but had to go back to mainland if there was a tunnel my family would have been able to get to me but the cost and time to get here is exacerbated without a tunnel x
You mean like those hovers that break down and can’t always run in bad weather!!
Wouldn’t fancy my chances on a hover today. Heart attacks don’t respect the weather.
Traffic can be regulated by adjusting the tolls. If we want people to come, we can reduce the tolls. If we don’t want them here, we can increase the price of their coming to the Island. For example, we can decrease the tolls in winter to attract visitors in the close season”.
……………
Feeney complains about the ferries, yet wants to price people off the island by making it too expensive for them to come as well.
He says increase tolls if we don’t want people here – that means those that can afford it, can come, poor people cannot.
The only way to fix the Island transport situation is through a tunnel. It will take up no land, you won’t see it, you won’t hear it, and it won’t divide communities.
.. Except the large entrance and exits which will be needed and the need for access roads to and from it.
…………..
“The Island’s ‘uniqueness’ is that people are dying and getting ripped off by the ferry companies
no feeney – the islands uniqueness is the fact that it is not connected to the mainland and has a slower pace of life, which is what people come here for.
………..
feeney says…Bob Seely believes the cost of a tunnel to be prohibitive. What is your response?
“The cost would be between 2 and 3 billion pounds. The tunnel would pay for itself.
comparison….
The new £6.8billion Lower Thames Crossing will be expanded from a four-lane to six-lane highway and at 2.4 miles long will be Britain’s longest road tunnel, according to the latest proposals. consultation launched in October 2018
“no feeney – the islands uniqueness is the fact that it is not connected to the mainland and has a slower pace of life, which is what people come here for.”
This is also why the young generation are all leaving.. No job opportunities, no future.
I doubt the toll would be £153 one way for an ordinary car journey – as I was quoted by one of the ferry companies and that was to an Islander wanting to get off!! Yes to the Fixed Link.
Buy a multi link pass it only costs £55 return is the answer.
Apart from your position on a ‘freedom tunnel’, what other policies do you offer?
“If elected, I wouldn’t attempt to impose my views on Islanders. I would give residents the opportunity to instruct me in a clear and transparent manner, either via online forums or face-to-face.
…….
In other words, feeney has no policies and no idea about what to do or what to say on any other issue, other than his single focus – that being his precious tunnel. Priceless.
Fixed link NO.
NO to the fixed link. We want our island as an island.
Our island?? It’s no ones island you retard
Pity you can’t be polite. You know very well what I meant.
And England is no longer an island?
Does Seely know its your island because he seems to think it is his. Nice to see that since the opening of the Chanel tunnel the United Kingdom Mainland is no longer an island. They walk amongst us dont ya know.
Does it mean there’ll be a FULL sign on the mainland that changes to the likes of 6 spaces. Increasing tolls to reduce traffic flows is just a fudge answer to a problem that is real. Should this ever get off the ground Carl will just get pushed to the side lines as the “big boys”, those with the money take over.
is that 2-3 billion for a feasability study – surely that would be better spent on the islands nhs, police etc. Even if you got a feasability study done there is no chance a tunnel would be built for at least another 20 25 years by the time you ask for bids and then sign contracts. You also have to convince the mainland they want more passing traffic, find a place the tunnel will come out. etc etc your dreaming feeney, but good luck in your tiny world of dilusion.
someone using my nickname – tut tut
although I agree with the poster.
[Moderated]
Don’t be so ridiculous. You really think if this ever went ahead the Government, Construction consortiums and Banks would let anyone build and operate the tunnel who just happens to have a limited company set up?
Good Luck Carl, you have my vote
Breaking News – The Victoria of Wight is out of action again! Some Flahsip that is, must’ve been built in same shipyard as The Mary Rose. Time for change!
Maybe its been “taken out of service” to boost profits.
I would simply look at some of his misguided and somewhat inappropriate comments made on the Island facebook buying and selling groups to see what this man is really like – a one trick pony with a vested interest – nothing more and nothing less…
All I see is personal swipes at Carl feeney, I don’t see many logical explanations as to why its wrong to focus on the future of the island. This is what many people do around the globe when looking at improving their life’s. Logical debate with shared opinions, thrash out what’s right without throwing mud at someone who’s purely looking at the future of the island he cares for. I’ve noticed nothing but accurate truths from Carl and mainly only mud thrown back. Yes the anti has very valid points which is good, but I do see the answers to their issues. I also see an existing MP, who with relatives working for the ferry companies and only really looking at his own personal progression( my opinion) as a problem. As part of a family that’s been on this island from the beginning I’m not moving anywhere I’m staying put and looking at every possible avenue in stopping it sinking, riddled with rust. So if no one likes it use the tunnel for your removel lorry off
We need protected island status, profit caps for the ferries and subsequent regulation.
Bob ain’t doing much, Feeney only has his own interests…
About time someone stood up for the people stranded here
I would like to know the answer to his stance on Brexit, is he a leaver or remainer,seems to me he fudged that question,just like all who want to get into politics
Keep your powder dry people , keep one eye on national polls during voting day , scribble late in the day , ensure the party to deliver brexit is safe then vote strategically and selfishly for this lovely island . Vote for Carl Feeney , he is true to his word .
Hello Carl, how are you?
I think there was some good answers in the interview, it certainly makes a change to have some straight and honest replies for a change.
Importantly Mr Feeney seems genuinely fond of the island, he wants a positive and he’s spent a lot of energy trying to make this better for future generations, we should remember that before getting brave at the keyboard.
If the fixedlink isn’t viable or feasible, that will become evident without digging, we all should want to see the studies results surely?
We won’t be worse off financially if the studies go ahead. If the results aren’t in favour, that’s it, the end of the debate, if it’s positive we might benefit, my family would definitely have preferred it for many reasons.
The ‘infrastructure’ word!! I’m no tunnel engineer, but I’m guessing it goes both ways, not just south.
The New Forest is AONB, small roads, last time I checked it’s permanently connected to the mainland, is it ruined? Does it have hoards of drunken violent gangs rampaging through it? Well then, keep it real.
Mr Seely isn’t interested in us, that’s obvious, you’d be daft to think so.
Let’s vote for the new broom, not the old mop
@benton
the studies have been done many times and they all said that it was not viable – feeney is just the latest in a long line of people trying to peddle this story.
Never trust a man based on how he’s dressed
Fixed link? yes please. my fiance, her son and I currently spend over £600 per month to reach our places of work on the mainland. This week we spend over £200 in addition to that because of the weather…these additional costs are regular with bad weather and mechanical breakdowns. We are now at the point of leaving the Island because of it. In addition, as Carl Feeney has pointed out, healthcare on the Island is a joke and there is a complete lack of investment to create better and more jobs on the Island.