Prime Minister Andy Burnham has agreed to look at a proposal to regulate the prices of Isle of Wight ferries, it has been said in the House of Commons.
Speaking in the Commons for the first time as Prime Minister yesterday (Tuesday), having taken office as MPs went off on their summer recess in July, Andy Burnham was responding to a question by Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East, Joe Robertson.
Mr Robertson referred to the Prime Minister’s cost-of-living tour of the UK and said:
“Had [the Prime Minister] come to the Isle of Wight, he would have heard about our number one cost of living issue. And that is the price of travelling to and from the Isle of Wight. Astronomical, harming our tourism economy, restricting access to health and education.”
The East Wight MP then asked:
“If he stands by his comments around people, power and putting power back into communities, will he at least be open to creating regulatory powers so that we can control prices that are currently levied by private equity companies, put passengers first, and ensure that the Isle of Wight is treated fairly, just like every other community in the UK?”
The Prime Minister responded:
“Well, Madam Deputy Speaker, I think he should, he sounds like he could be speaking from these benches because I got a lot of jeers when I talked about public control earlier this afternoon. But that’s precisely what he’s calling for, and he’s right to do so. It enabled me to reduce bus fares in Greater Manchester.
Article continues below this advertisement “I don’t see why it wouldn’t enable him to reduce ferry fares. Bring me a proposal. That’s what I would say to the honourable gentleman. Bring me a proposal. I will look seriously at it, because I understand completely how critical that is to opportunity and growth both on the island and also on the mainland.”
Mr Robertson later posted on social media:
“We now need to do everything we can, working locally and nationally, cross-party, to ensure that the unique injustice of unfettered private equity control of access to our Island is a thing of the past.”
A series of monthly roundtable ferries meetings convened by the Department of Transport are due to start later this month.
The king of the north will look at it….
Like Starmer, who then put up the fare. For the Miliband eco levy, that’s not achievable in Portsmouth.
At the same time he subsidied the increase for Scotland, as it is a lifeline service.?
Well done Mr Robertson. Good luck.The island needs this urgently.
See it through, don’t let it get brushed under the carpet.
Don’t just talk the talk, walk the talk!
So Burnham, with the added gibe about sleepy Joe being a “socialist”, nevertheless says:”Bring me a proposal. That’s what I would say to the honourable gentleman. Bring me a proposal”.
Sleepys response (in typical Tory fashion) is to post on social media “We
now need to do everything we can, working locally and nationally, cross-
party, to ensure that the unique injustice of unfettered private equity control of access to our Island is a thing of the past.”
NO Joe! YOU need to give Burnham A PROPOSAL – NOT release yet another Tory word salad that makes no bloody sense.
Or is that too much for you?
I do not trust Burnham at all he talks the talk he will do nothing because it is in the south of England.
Another thing Dick and Joe should bring up.
Why does Wightlink Yarmouth to Lymington charge
50%+ more for a ferry crossing?????
Not another alias Enough is Enough, Mr Smith, JS, The Truth Hurts, 20mph is plenty. You are sick in the head – get a life! If there was a decent Moderator he would see you off. Unfortunately Dazza is not interested!
Totally agree JS83 – he is an idiot
You sure are!.
Who the fcuk is Dazza
Another Numpty
What utter bollocks..
so. how does the company continue to pay the increases in wages required so that staff can also keep pace with their own household bills going up -if you cap the prices. As soon as wages go up, so do payroll taxes, NIC and pension contributions
typical socialists that have never run a business, think they know how to tell actual business owners what they should be doing
Burnham is a puppet controlled by his leftie mates. Incapable of making his own decisions. I had a boss on the Island like that. She used to say to any proposal to put it in writing with workings. 95% of the time it was dismissed and the other 5% she tweaked it and presented it as hers. Burnham is full of b…s.