Prime Minister Keir Starmer has acknowledged the need to tackle the Isle of Wight’s ferry challenges during an exchange with Richard Quigley MP in Westminster, Island Echo can reveal.
Island Echo was alerted to the development thanks to a nudge from award-winning community radio station Vectis Radio, whose presenters spoke to Richard during a recent visit to Parliament.
During our own visit to the Houses of Parliament this week (more on that to follow), we spoke directly with the Isle of Wight West MP to clarify what was said between him and the Labour leader.
On the exchange, Richard Quigley has said:
“I spoke to him following the second reading of the welfare bill and at the end of the chat, he said ‘I do need to find a solution to the issue of your ferries’. I simply said yes.
“He asked me to take him through the issues and the solutions and I said I’ll probably need half a day to which he replied, ‘It’d be a great thing to do for your constituents’.
“I think that’s come about through me and Joe (Isle of Wight East MP) not stopping, Joe bringing it up all the time in the chamber and me constantly talking to Heidi Alexander (Secretary of State for Transport) about it because her language has very much changed. She gets it. She’s of the same opinion. We need to do something about it”.
The remark from Sir Keir comes amid increasing scrutiny of cross-Solent operators and growing calls for change. Islanders have long raised concerns over the affordability, reliability and lack of competition in ferry services linking the Isle of Wight to the mainland.
In April, the Department for Transport (DfT) confirmed it would begin looking at the pricing structures, timetables and overall reliability of ferry services. This followed a key roundtable meeting in Cowes, attended by industry leaders, councillors and government officials.
Last month, the issue gained further traction during the Island Echo/IW Observer State of the Island Debate, where stakeholders renewed calls for a public service obligation (PSO) to be introduced.
Island Echo gives special thanks to our friends at Vectis Radio for their help with this story.
[…] PRIME MINISTER DECLARES TO MP ‘I NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION TO YOUR FERRIES’ […]
He promised to get the study done – he ignores it now.
Lost my vote already!
Considering they’re on opposite sides of the fence they do seem to make a good tag team, and doing a pincer movement in effect on this issue. Collecting of the data to form the basis of a sound argument has taken time, as has getting meetings with many relevant parties. More surprised that Starmer has actually taken notice though.
At a time when plying party politics is all too frequent, I think the Islands MPs are to be congratulated for their co-operative approach to the ferry problem which puts the needs of their constituents first
We certainly do not want a fixed link and indeed there will not be one due to the cost and opposition from both ends. Other problems such as lack of road infrastructure on the island rules out the option of a fixed link.
sadly you’re wrong – ultimately either in your time or that of others, the island will be connected to the mainland by a ‘fixed’ link. There are no other environmental options that work for our joint futures.
Most Islanders don’t want a fixed link and I doubt anyone is going to come up with the investment to build one.
“Most Islanders don’t want a fixed link”
can you actually provide any factual evidence for that ?
or is it just what you think ??
Quite soon the option will be fixed link or NO link; that thought should concentrate minds!
Are you saying this as the appointed mouthpiece for the Island? There are many people who would like to see a fixed link.
A fixed link is the only sustainable option. The Solent and Southampton Water cruises are both pleasant experiences but not the solution to the Island’s economic viability
you mean “I”, not “We”
Your saying we like your speaking for the whole island.
Who are the WE who do not want a fixed link? Our ferry arrangements are unsustainable, what was viable in a 19C economy is not viable today. Look around the world at all the islands that are now being connected with tunnels or bridges or both, most of these islands are smaller and less economically active than the IOW. Ferry ownership is not the problem it is the length of the ferry routes which are dictating the types of ships and the associated costs. If you fear that lack of roads will be a problem associated with a fixed link then the proposed rate of housing development on the Island must bring an even greater problem.
Could you please refrain from putting stazi starmers face on articles please,i find it very offensive,i despise and hate the rsole as much as blair the warmongering migrant lover!
I’m interested to know why you hate him so much. A charisma free zone, definitely, but worst PM ever? Worse than serial liar Johnson, Eton boy Cameron, billionaire Sunak or swivel eyed right wing conspiracy theorist nut job Truss? I don’t think so.
I think your red bias is showing
I haven’t got a bias. Tell me I’m wrong about our former PM’s.
Starmer may have zero personality, but he’s a working class guy done good who has more integrity in his little finger than your beloved Boris has ever had.
Working class, this is the man whose parents who played the system and moved to a part of surrey and got him into a selective grammar school.
oh, so his parents put them selves out to give him a bertter chance in life…
as opposed to Farage, (who does photo calls in a pub with a pint,.. to appear to be ‘one of the lads’,.. but is in reality) a rich, ex-commodities trader, privately educated, son of a stock-broker….
& as for Cameron & Sunak,…
well there’s no comparisson
no he hasn’t – if he had integrity, then the promises he made during campaigning would have been kept – he lied to get the job
Are you totally brain dead or what, I have never known any politician who has destroyed the UK as quick as this total moron
Truss ?
Yes, worse than all of them. Why? Because they have done their worst and gone, and he’s still there, doing his best to bring the country to ruin
Even worse than Thatcher. He is an absolute danger to this country. Yes, the tories caused a lot of the problems we now have (as well as blair), but starmer promised as part of his election manifesto that he’d put things right – he’s done nothing, quite the opposite in fact, he’s made everything worse.
Utter nonsense. Thatcher had 11 years in which she systematically destroyed our manufacturing industry, privatised everything that moved (allowing her rich mates to make a fortune) and sold off social housing leading to the housing crisis we have now. Amongst other disastrous policies (most of which were designed purely to make the rich richer).
Starmer has had a year.
Well said
I love those (oh-so accurate) descriptions,….
He is our Prime Minister and was elected witha large majority. Who cares whether you like him or not?
He won’t do NOTHING, the worst PM ever
You are quite right, he won’t do nothing as his Tory predecessors did. He is already doing plenty, all for the benefit of the ordinary working people of the contry, not just the wealthy few
Some guy everyone hates blows hot air up MP’s ass.
Where’s the news story here?
I bet he is going to do something after the next election.
Everything Starmer touches turns to s…. or he either back tracks or forgets.
For those who still consider that a tunnel is just a concept, a pipe dream that is not attainable take a look at the faroe islands, they have four tunnels between differing islands, two of which are longer than the distance from the isle of wight to the mainland and more are being constructed as we speak, they are all toil tunnels and two of them have been open for best part of 20 years.
The difference is the people of the Faroes wanted the tunnels.
Ask the people of Portsmouth, Gosport, Southampton or The New Forest if they want one.
What difference would a tunnel, or bridge or a combination of both, make to the people of these towns? The difference that it would make to the Island might actually guarantee a future.
Just for starters…careful what you wish for.
1. Overtourism and its Impacts:
AND overdevelopment does not? Just consider for one moment that the existing ferry arrangements are unsustainable, then what?
I purchase multi link tickets. Due to unusual circumstances I have used 9 returns since March. I now am left with 1 return, so checked the price for a further 10 returns. The price has increased by 15%. How can this be justified? We need the ferry, it is a lifeline to the Island, for our food security and work security. I read that wightlink board are proposing to borrow £60m. £30m to be paid to shareholders, the balance for a new ferry. At the price we are charged why are they not making a profit without borrowing to pay dividends or is it just a gigantic fiddle??
It is just a gigantic fiddle. No respectable or responsible business would borrow money to pay shareholders.
And of course they are not. it is not legal.
This is the problem.. Fares are so high because the overhead is so high. What will the farepayer get for the £30m paid out to shareholders?
The fares are too high relative to the short journey to the \island because the operational costs are high; shorter routes, different types of ferry are the answer if they are not going to build a fixed link.
Total plank
Plenty of Blow up Black boats you are doing nothing about Mr Primeidiot. You could put some of those to use
They’re already sending the contents here in vast numbers.
He needs to bring you back on side and voting with the government. No commitment notice, just a hint.
Could always run a Dinghy service to the island.
Lol
Now Stamer is involved we will get a lot of reversal and of views. May I ask Mr Quigley does he know where the IOW is?
Starmer is NOT involved. He has thrown Quigley a carrot, that’s all. A carrot to stop Quigley EVER voting against the government again.
I voted Reform Nigel is charismatic & very knowledgeable
He is a snake oil salesman.
He has a European passport, despite denying the same to a generation.
He used to sing Hitler Youth songs at his highly expensive private school. (man of the working people my a**e).
A very dangerous politician who will use populist policies and ideals to woo the uneducated, misinformed and just plain ignorant in exactly the same way Trump has done.
I think you need to provide some proof for these allegations.
You have summed Nige up to a T.
Funny thing about populist policies, they do what it says on the label ie. people like them!
Hahhahahahahahahaha. You should get a spot at the end of the pier!
If only, shame all the pier theatres are a thing of the
past on the island, those were the good old days.
I miss the theatre on Sandown pier, now full of
dirty old slot machines.
Or possibly slightly beyond it!
Nigel is part of the establishment, he won’t
change a thing, he just says things people like to
hear, just like Johnson, another charlatan.
Of course, in a democracy politicians are elected for saying that they are going to do things that people d not want!