Isle of Wight MP Joe Robertson has taken the Government to task over increases in energy bills and plans to apply the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) levy to the Portsmouth to Fishbourne route in July.
Speaking in the House of Commons Chamber in the King’s Speech Debate, Mr Robertson highlighted the increasing cost of energy and the impact which this has on individuals and businesses, by referring to the Government’s pre-election promises to cut energy bills by £300 and the £8.6billion costs incurred in setting up GB Energy.
During his Speech, the MP for Isle of Wight East again raised the issue of the ETS levy on ferries and how Island residents were being penalised by these charges, in addition to already high ferry fares.
Mr Robertson said:
“The security of energy and the price of energy is something that affects every household, every individual and every business up and down the country, in every constituency. It’s a matter that concerns everyone. When the Secretary of State was in opposition during the last election, he promised to cut household energy bills by £300, but instead, in Government, he’s presided over an increase in household energy bills of £200.
“There is nothing in The King’s Speech that will secure the country’s energy supply, that will bring down energy costs, and that will bring the jobs and investment that the government has promised.”
Whilst highlighting a return ferry fare of £511.00 on the Fishbourne to Portsmouth route, Mr Robertson went on to say:
“Next month, you can travel across the Solent to the Isle of Wight, take your car, and one return trip costs £511.00 for a 5 mile return crossing. The Government, instead of helping us, will levy a carbon emission tax that the ferry company cannot avoid because it cannot decarbonise its ferries and go electric. There is no grid charging capacity in Portsmouth Harbour or Southampton. This is the naval base of the United Kingdom and one of the biggest export container ports yet there is not the grid capacity to charge an Isle of Wight ferry.
Article continues below this advertisement “The EU are ring fencing the money they get from ETS to invest in grid capacity imports, however, the UK government are making no promises about investing in grid capacity.”
Mr Robertson recently wrote a joint letter with Richard Quigley MP, highlighting the Island’s reliance on ferry travel and calling for a delay or urgent reconsideration of the levy’s application.
In his response to the debate, Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP said Mr Robertson made a ‘bizarre’ argument.
I quote, “Energy Minister Michael Shanks MP said Mr Robertson made a ‘bizarre’ argument”.
I wonder if Michael Shanks would care to explain his “bizarre” response. I’ll write to him and ask, but I’m not holding my breath…
Absolutely shocking prices.. my wife and I along with our little dog have just come back from a visit and the island was so quiet. No one is going, it is just too expensive… we love it there but now thinking twice about going back, having visited for years.. really sad but I’m sure the island needs tourism and without it businesses will go to the wall.. very sad for the island, trapped by the ransom charges that is simply going to end in misery…
Ferry fares are killing off island tourism.
Well done Joe.
The ferry fares are scandalous, Wightlink are now
giving the option to pay in 3 instalments due to their
extortionate prices.
Joe all we need is a barge type boat that we can drive
on and drive off.
The fares don’t need to be more than £20 for a return trip.
Starmers lot won’t listen, it is not run by illegal immigrants, two tier kier doesn’t like true brits as they are always fighting for their rights and called far right.
“Starmers lot won’t listen”
this is true, but then again the conservatives refused to do anything about the ferries, and it’s very much doubtful if reform will do anything either (after all, that are very much in favour of policies to keep the rich rich, and vice-versa)
You seem confused… ‘true brits’ & rights…
the far right aren’t fighting for your rights, (or the rights of ‘true brits’)
it is the right / far-right (e.g.conservatives & reform) who want to remove rights from ‘true brits’ as well as everyone else, by leaving the ECHR …
Core Rights Protected by the ECHR include
• Right to life
• Prohibition of torture
• Right to liberty and security
• Right to a fair trial
• Respect for private and family life
• Freedom of expression
ECHR – Scrap it, EU regs say that ” any refugee should seek sanction in the FIRST safe country, and that isn’t the UK ” When do rape gang victims get a true hearing never, because the ECHR stick their noses in, after all we can’t send illegals back to France because they don’t like the chicken nuggets there, ludicrous. Scrap the ECHR and scrap this crappy so called government.
Thank you for continuing in trying to get something done about the extortionate ferry fares.
Why is nothing happening to reduce the fares?
Ferries elsewhere are subsidised and should be here if the ferry companies won’t reduce the fares.
We have no choice but to use them if we travel off the island so we are a captive market.
My thoughts exactly.
Would be awfully nice if he answered his constituents email about Southern housing housing young families knowingly in flats/maisonette riddled with asbestos in the aryex and ageing floor tiles as well!!ferry fares is a battle no Island MP can win they have the monopoly as scandalous as it is and just making noises and demanding action is pointless with both companies,but then when did a Tory ever concern themselves with Social Housing?.
In comparison the Cowes to East Cowes floating bridge, distance approx 125m @ £3-00 equates to something close to £36-00 per mile.
Good old side show Joe. About as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike.