Joe Robertson, Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight East, has spoken out against the Government’s plans for a local government shake-up, which could see the Isle of Wight Council replaced with a new mainland-based authority.
The Government’s plans, published just before Christmas, seek to implement a single tier of local government across England with directly elected mayors. The Isle of Wight Council is already a single-tier unitary council.
However, the Government has set a minimum population of 500,000 for unitary authorities, much greater than the Island’s electorate of around 110,000. There is no minimum population requirement for local government in Scotland and Wales.
In an unexpected development, the Government says it will delay elections for any local authority that expresses an interest in its plans. This means the Isle of Wight Council elections due in May could be delayed by a year or more – leaving the Alliance in charge for another 12 months.
Joe Robertson MP has said:
“Previous Conservative and Labour Governments have talked about devolving power down from Whitehall, but until now, nobody was proposing the abolition of the Isle of Wight Council.
“This is no longer a sensible conversation about genuine devolution – it is a proposal by an out-of-touch government to transfer all of our decision-making powers off the Island to a new body on the mainland. The idea is both absurd and offensive.”
Isle of Wight Councillors are due to debate the proposal tomorrow night (Wednesday) and decide whether they want to begin a process which could dissolve the Council for good.
The Conservative Group have sounded the alarm about devolution plans too, as previously reported by Island Echo.
Phil Jordan, the Leader of the Council, was reported in late December as saying:
“What is now noticeably clear is that the Unitary Authority of the Island, in its present form, will not continue.”
The East Wight MP says he disagrees with this pessimistic assessment:
“I urge all Councillors to unequivocally reject any proposition that includes the destruction of the Isle of Wight Council. All elected representatives on the Island should send a strong message back to the Government that the Island will only engage in a conversation which preserves our own unitary authority, with none of our current decision-making powers being transferred off the Island. Only on that basis can we talk about the devolution of powers down from Whitehall.
“I fundamentally disagree with the Council Leader’s assessment that our Council will not continue in its present form. The Government’s plans contain options.
“I am ready to work with Phil Jordan and others to defend our Island’s democracy, but he needs to show strong leadership and not cave into any overbearing nonsense from the Government. There is no good reason to cancel our May elections and deny residents their opportunity to decide who represents them for the next 4 years.”
The proposal is a blatant attempt at gerrymandering and foisting leftish regional commissars across England.
It has absolutely nothing to do with “empowering the people” which is the rhetoric the ginger growler is spouting.
It might be helpful if posters, MPs and Councillors actually read the white paper before spouting.
Read, digested and opposed.
Typical comment of the left who love to take the high ground. I’m sure you can come up with a few more, well used insults.
You’re making it worth my while!
Ridiculous idea.What is suitable for the mainland is not suitable for an island with its special problems.
The Island needs more diversity, bring it on.
Where is Richard Quigley on this? Has anyone heard from him?
Why should anyone hear from him, he is an mp now so doesn’t have to speak to the public, he has been complicit in shafting the pensioners, farmers, waspi women, schools.
he is laughing all the way to the bank and claiming every penny of “expenses” he can get his hands on, a parasitic waste of oxygen.
No different to the last lot then.
I bet he is living it up in his tax payers paid
for London Pad, eating in Michelin restaurants
every day, compliments of tax payers paying his
expenses, not too mention toasting in his London pad
with the heat full on, while us Island pensioners
are left to freeze.
Remember the old saying we are all in it
together. Lol
Not to mention his fat MP salary of £91,346.00
per year.
This is a blatant attempt by the Labour party to try to hang on to their vote and nothing else
This Government have done more damage in 6 months
than the Tories done in 14 years.
I am glad I voted INDEPENDENT
If the island becomes mainland based, hopefully
they finally build a Bridge or Tunnel linking us to the
mainland.
Cheaper than paying extortionate ferry fares.
Lose the iow council as good or bad as it is at times would be absolute folly this should be thrown strait in to the solent
Only an idiot labour government could come up with an idea like this
Being part of a unitary authority is the best way of bringing equal opportunities to Islanders, partly by sorting the ferries out.