Richard Quigley, the MP for Isle of Wight West, has led a Westminster Hall debate on the challenges of isolation and hidden deprivation in coastal communities, highlighting the Isle of Wight as a powerful example of the barriers faced by communities across the UK.
The debate was secured by Richard following growing concerns that successive governments have failed to adequately recognise deprivation in coastal areas, particularly the Isle of Wight, through funding formulas and policy decisions.
He argued that communities such as the Isle of Wight often face unique challenges that are overlooked by measures which fail to capture the true extent of need.
Opening the debate, Richard told MPs:
“Communities like mine often feel isolated not just from funding and opportunity, but from the national conversation. The challenges facing the Isle of Wight have, in recent years, rarely made headlines or shaped the political agenda, but that does not make them any less real or important to those of us who live there.”
During the debate, Richard outlined the challenges facing island and coastal communities, including poor transport connectivity, an ageing population, pressures on health and social care services, lower average wages, and barriers to economic opportunity.
He argued that the Isle of Wight’s separation from the mainland creates additional costs – pointing to a study by the University of Portsmouth which showed that it cost the island £23 million just to standstill when compared to a similar sized authority on the mainland.
Richard also warned that traditional measures of deprivation often fail to identify communities where hardship is dispersed rather than concentrated, leading to areas of significant need being overlooked when funding is allocated.
Responding to Richard’s debate the Minister for Devolution, Local Growth and Communities Nesil Caliskan MP said:
“Places like the Isle of Wight are often thought of as postcards of national pride. As they should be. But as others have put so well today behind these postcards, they face a distinctive challenge; geographical isolation, poorer connectivity, deprivation, and barriers to opportunity…. The Isle of Wight itself demonstrates both strengths and challenges found across many coastal communities”.
The Minister also spoke of her ‘shock’ of the cost of ferry travel on the Island
“I have to say I was particularly shocked to hear the cost of ferry travel from the Isle of Wight, extraordinary. It is particularly shocking when you think about the transport that is necessary to allow a local economy to keep going. The government has announced through the Child Poverty Strategy; we will look at new transport poverty tools to help national and local bodies in England to identify transport connectivity and affordability. I know that access to services depend on connectivity”.
Richard was pleased that the debate brought together so many MPs from across the political spectrum, many of whom shared experiences from their own coastal and rural constituencies, reinforcing growing calls for a more targeted approach to funding and investment in communities that have too often been left behind.
Concluding the debate Richard highlighted the undeniable gaps in services on coastal communities:
“Too often, when we talk about isolation, we focus on geography. But the real cost of isolation and deprivation is a human one. It is the opportunity not taken, the treatment not received, the family not visited, and the support that arrives too late or not at all. Until we recognise that reality in our funding, our policymaking and our public services, communities like the Isle of Wight will continue to face barriers that many others never have to think about.”
Richard pledged to continue fighting for recognition of the island’s unique status and will continue to advocate for more accurate funding formulas that more effectively reflect the needs of places like the Isle of Wight.
Mass debate has never been particularly satisfying..
Doesn’t always = an happy ending
Lol
Too little too late.
Andy Burnham is going to throw all the funding at the Northern Cities like in the 1997-2010 period which started this mess.
The Southern Coastal areas will remain hidden by the wealth of Southampton, Winchester, Chicester, Canterbury and Bristol and ‘given up’ to Reform in the fight for forming the next government.
We don’t count.
Perhaps we should threaten devolution?
The only real downside is the loss of the NHS and less generous pensions. But that is what Reform are offering as well, so i think we now have the mandate for. it. The elderly, the poor and the disabled clearlty don’t want the NHS. So we need to strike out on our own as an offshore finance centre and distribution hub
Might be a good time to move up North, property prices are on the
up, sadly in the South they are going down.
Go Andy go, time to level up.
I totally agree with this!
Richard at least many Islanders are getting a great deal
FREE PARKING in SANDOWN ON THE PAVEMENT OUTSIDE THE OLD TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE OPPOSITE SANDOWN PIER INSIDE A PEDESTRIANISED ZONE
THEREFORE THEY ARE EVADING PARKING CHARGES
NOT TO MENTION ALL THE VEHICLES DRIVING WITHOUT AN MOT ON THE LAWLESS ISLE OF WIGHT
“IS THERE NO TRAFFIC LAW ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT”
SIR SADIQ KHAN MADE THE BIG SMOKE A SAFE PLACE AND NOW
THE 20MPH HERO HAS BEEN MADE A PEER FOR ALL THE GREAT WORK HE HAS DONE FOR LONDON.
We need superheroes on the island like Khan
20mph is better for everyone
Khan is no superhero hes single handedly ruin London!
Not wishing to kick somone who is down but you know nothing about khan or the horrendous damage he has single handed done to the capital, the so called ULEZ charge has hadlittle or no effect on pollution, in fact in central london it has got worse,violent crime and sexual offences against women are over 10 per cent higher,several boroughs in central london under his watch have been taken over by central goveernment because of corruption, I could go on forever talking about this dictator.
So yet another mp who lies to gain his seat! Why wont he talk about the elephant in the room the FERRYS!!! we need a fixed link asap.
If we were a similar sized borough anywhere up north , the labour party would be throwing money at us.