East Wight MP Joe Robertson has invited Prime Minister Andy Burnham to visit the Isle of Wight to hear first-hand about what he describes as ‘Island-specific cost-of-living pressures’, with the cost of crossing the Solent at the centre of his appeal.
The invitation has been issued in an open letter to the Prime Minister, as Mr Burnham undertakes a cost-of-living tour of the UK which has been billed as an opportunity to get out of Westminster and meet people where they are.
Mr Robertson says he welcomes the tour but is concerned that its focus outside London has so far been largely on the North of England.
In his letter, the Isle of Wight East MP points to the opening of ‘Number 10 North’ in Manchester and says Islanders may feel that decision-making and funding are no closer to them as a result.
He also raises concerns about assumptions that the South East is wealthy, arguing that the Isle of Wight faces particular pressures because of its separation from the mainland.
Mr Robertson says a visit would allow the Prime Minister to better understand the additional costs of delivering public services on the Isle of Wight, as well as the difficulties residents can face accessing essential goods and services, running businesses and making choices about education.
However, the East Wight MP reserves his strongest criticism for cross-Solent travel.
Referring to comments from a Downing Street spokesman about consumers being ‘ripped off’, Mr Robertson claims Isle of Wight residents are being let down by the ownership and operation of the Island’s car ferry services.
Joe Robertson MP has said:
“On the Isle of Wight, we as residents and consumers, are being ripped off by private equity interests which own and control our only car ferry services.
“It is beginning to look exactly like Westminster – particularly the Department for Transport – thinks we should accept that as part of life.”
He goes on to argue that no other UK community is entirely reliant on private equity-owned services to take a car more than 20 miles from home, calling for action to make return crossings costing hundreds of pounds ‘a thing of the past’.
The MP also refers to a previous conversation with Mr Burnham during the Railways Bill Committee earlier this year, saying the now-Prime Minister had appeared sympathetic to the transport challenges faced by Islanders.
Joe added:
“You are now in the privileged position to do something about it.
“I hope you will accept this invitation to visit the Isle of Wight and speak to everyday Islanders on the ground and hear about island specific cost-of-living pressures.”
Burnham, here, not a chance… to far south for him, plus he will get lynched.
I doubt the King of the North knows where the Isle of Wight is!
Many businesses must be booming because they close earlier
take Steamer Inn etc last food orders 8.30 close at 10pm
same with Fishermens Cittage etc.
THE BUSINESSES HAVE INCREASED THEIR PRICES AND ARE MAKING
MUCH MORE MONEY ENABLING THEM TO CLOSE EARLY.
Some of these establishments charge £23 for fish and chips, check out their pre pandemic prices, much much lower.
INFLATION AND RACHEL’S BUDGET WAS NEVER THAT BAD.
INDIAN RESTAURANTS DON’T CLOSE EARLY.
Hospitality businesses don’t close early if they’re doing well.
They close early when they’re doing badly.
If the staff and fuel costs are more than they’ll make in the last hour of normal trading hours, it makes perfect sense to close early.
If they were making money hand over fist, they’d stay open!
Exactly so. I ran a business and the one thing I learnt early on is that people who have never done so have almost no idea of the harsh realities. While the public seem to imagine that all small business owners must be rich, the reality is that most people with small high street shops struggle to make a living.
Don’t have him over here as it may focus his attention on the empty Camp Hill which is ripe for developing into a paid holiday camp for those fortunate to arrive from overseas.
Robertson, like his predecessor, Seely, trying to make himself look relevant and failing as did Seely, yet again.
Sleepy Joe is now “calling for action to make return crossings costing hundreds of pounds ‘a thing of the past’
Yet back in 2019, when the Battle For the Lesser Of Two Evils For Prime Minister, starring Boris (The Stud) Johnson and the Sinophile Jeremy (The ****) Hunt, were here on the island, Seldom Seen Seely said “One of the things that I promised when Islanders elected me as their Member of Parliament was that I would make sure that the Island had a higher profile in Whitehall and that Islanders would be listened to by our national leaders.”
That promise fell on DEAF EARS with the rotten-to-the-core Tories.
Sleepy thinks that No Mandate Andy is going to listen to him while Leader of the Munchester Pikies?
Dream on you fool!
Tell him to come over in his car with the family…..
He will soon turn around and go to Europe for less
Let’s hope the island welcome The King of The North
with the Red Carpet treatment if he arrives
Lol
We are about to find out if he really is a northern townie who doesn’t give a fig about the south of the country. I hope I am wrong, but I’d bet he doesn’t come because he and his government have so far shown they really don’t care about the Isle of Wight or its people!!
I can’t imagine that an invitation from a rather dull Tory backbencher will be sufficient to entice the new PM to visit.
As a former Labour supporter who became politically homeless during the Blair years, it’s my hope that Burnham can take Labour back from the centre-right to something vaguely left of centre.
Time will tell. I’ll give him six months to inspire me!