Following the news that Cowes Enterprise College student Matthew Ambrosini will be seeking election as the new Isle of Wight Councillor for Newport Central, the Conservatives have announced 2 further teenage candidates who will also be representing the party in the forthcoming local elections.
19-year-old Cara Lock will be standing in the new Parkhurst & Hunnyhill ward and 19-year-old Rhys Wright will stand for the new Ryde Monktonmead ward.
With just 15% of councillors nationally under the age of 45 – and the age profile of elected representatives on the Isle of Wight similarly skewed to an older age range – the Conservative Party on locally has encouraged some of its younger members to come forward to seek election to the Isle of Wight Council. In addition to Cara, Rhys and Matthew, there are a number of other members in their 20s and 30s who will also be standing as Conservative candidates on 6th May. A full list will be published next week.
Cara – who attended schools in Newport and now works in the hospitality sector – has said:
“I am delighted to have this opportunity to put myself forward for election as part of a team of candidates for the Island as a whole. It is widely recognised that public bodies (like the Isle of Wight Council) need to increase their number of younger and female members, and I hope that – by seeking election – I can help encourage more young women to consider standing for public office.
“Following my nomination, it is clear that there are a number of issues in Parkhurst & Hunnyhill that would benefit from having a local councillor who is working as an influential part of the majority group at County Hall.
“I look forward to getting out and about in Parkhurst & Hunnyhill and meeting more voters, at a distance, between now and polling day. If elected, my role will be to represent residents of all ages who live in the ward, and I also hope to be a voice for younger people from across the Island who may currently feel under-represented.”
Rhys – who attended schools in Ryde and Newport and now works in the care sector – is the grandson of Adrian Axford, the former councillor for Ryde North West who recently passed away. He has said:
“My grandfather was a huge inspiration to me, as I grew up observing his considerable involvement in politics and civic life on the Island. His work in the Ryde community sparked my own interest in politics and led to me applying to stand as a candidate in the forthcoming elections. I had very much hoped to be seeking election alongside my grandfather, but sadly he was taken from us too soon.
“However, as we remember the public service he undertook over many years, I am even more determined to honour his memory by seeking to follow in his footsteps. My grandfather did great work for our local community, and I will be following his lead in seeking to do the same. I am just saddened that he is not here to see me do it.
“I recognise that, of course, I have much less experience that many existing councillors and candidates. But if I were elected, I would be working alongside others – bringing my own youthful perspective alongside the experiences and input offered by those who have previously served as councillor or had careers elsewhere. That’s the benefit of having a wider team: we can all collectively contribute. I look forward to chatting to voters over the coming weeks and listening to their views.”
Councillor Dave Stewart, Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, added:
“I am delighted to welcome Matthew, Cara and Rhys on board as the next generation of Conservative candidates. I am the first to admit that the overall make-up of the Isle of Wight Council’s membership is not as diverse as it should be. That is why we have taken steps to recruit these – and other – younger candidates to be part of our full candidate team.
“What I can say is that they have all been selected entirely on their own merits, having been through the same interview process as all other potential candidates. They are exceptionally strong candidates who I am confident will appeal to voters in their own right, as well as helping us broaden the appeal of the Conservative Party on the Island as a whole. I will be supporting them in their campaigns and I very much hope to welcome them to our team at County Hall in due course.”
LoL Their generation have been sold down the river by the miss handling of the pandemic. They will suffer a burden for 30+ years. And they support the conservatives! Mind you, the other lot or worse. We need a democracy with a written constitution and a true disconnection of religion and the monarchy from government. Keep the Queen, works well as a figure head. Just detached from government.
Now what would the policies be of this generation spend three hours a day on your computer,
four hour a day on their phone, must look like a c grade celebrity and spend four hours
a day watching love island. That should get you into power.
About time! Best of luck!
Oh no the population of Tory voters on the island are getting confused now. Seen as they would vote for a potato if it had a Tory badge on. What are these private educated, privileged ponces going to do. Nothing will change, just the same old retirees whining about any change.
When I last looked Cowes Enterprise College was not a “private” school.
As for being confused …
If you look closely it don’t say where the other two Tory numptys went to school it says only Newport and Ryde. Anyway the tories are just a load of toffs look at the government… Eaton educated boys club.
Your confused.com
Eton….. I agree with your Tory toffs comment. Private school educated but not an ounce of common sense. Totally unaware of the needs of the country and what is important to the people of the UK. This includes wasting millions of our Council Tax money on the thing they call the Floating Bridge.
Elon Musk is correct. We are in a simulation.
I won’t be voting for them as they are not in my ward, mind you, my x will not be for the tory person standing in my ward.
Why, no matter what they say they believe in or stand for, if they do not toe the party line, they will not be a tory for long.
Great news.. Best of luck to them both, I couldn’t think of anything worse than a couple of young woke Labour candidate’s telling us how evil we are because we don’t back unlimited immigration and various far left ideologies that support every minority except us..