Reform UK has emerged as the largest party on the Isle of Wight Council after securing 19 seats in a dramatic political shake-up that saw senior Conservatives and several high-profile councillors lose their seats across the Island.
With 22 first-time councillors elected, several razor-thin contests and some huge winning margins, Thursday’s local elections delivered one of the biggest changes in the authority’s recent history.
Today’s results have brought about some surprises, with councillors including Phil Jordan, John Nicholson, Michael Beston, Chris Quirk, Ian Ward and Paul Brading all losing their seats.
A number of familiar faces remain in power, including Paul Fuller, Claire Critchinson, Michael Lilley, Karen Lucioni, Matt Price, Jonathan Bacon and Lora Peacey-Wilcox.
Council Leader Phil Jordan lost his seat to Reform’s Reuben Loake, as previously reported by Island Echo.
The new Isle of Wight Council is now made up of 19 Reform UK, 2 Conservatives, 11 Independents, 2 Greens, 1 Island Independent Network, 1 Labour and 4 Liberal Democrats.
Among the standout victories was Independent Paul Fuller in Cowes West & Gurnard, who stormed to victory with 1,173 votes – an enormous majority of 898 over Reform UK candidate Sue Whitewood.
Independent Becca Cameron also secured a commanding win in Freshwater South, polling 913 votes and finishing 518 ahead of Reform UK’s Ian Pickering, while Karl Love retained East Cowes with 876 votes – 516 clear of Reform UK.
Green Party councillor Claire Critchinson comfortably held Chale, Niton & Shorwell with 822 votes, defeating Reform UK’s Mark Nigh by 316 votes.
At the opposite end of the scale, several contests were decided by narrow margins. Shanklin Central was won by Reform UK’s Stephen Reynolds by just 1 vote over Conservative Michael Beston, while Freshwater North & Yarmouth saw Debbie Conlin defeat Independent David Whitstance by only 17 votes.
The full 2026 local election results can be found at https://www.islandecho.co.uk/2026-isle-of-wight-local-elections-full-results/.
I give it 3 months before the Reform councillors find out that running the Council and doing everything they promised is not as easy or as possible as they thought and islanders will start to moan about them the same as the old councillors
They cannot “run” the Council as they do not have a majority.
They have 19 Councillors.
There are another 20 of differing origin.
What part of majority do you not understand?
Well,.. they promised to stop the boats, & get starmer out…
Not sure how they are going to do that…
& They’re not going to get any more money from central government… & So it’ll still be cuts in services and /or raising council tax…
So at the best… They’ll be no better than anyone else…
But probably, partly due to total lack of experience.. a lot worse…
At least they’ve got 2years or so, to prove their incompetence, before the next GE…
Reckon that’ll be a big f**l up for farage’s dreams…….
They couldn’t stop a bus yet alone a boat.
For sure but this “reset” is welcome. Even if it just teaches those who are capable of running The Island that they work for us.
I think you are right, Garry, and that it would be the same whoever got or gets in. I believe the simple problem is the overall attitude and ‘zeitgeist’ or set of values and feelings of society as a whole. Just looking at the books, it shows councillors are more interested in running ‘special needs’ children to school in taxis and giving computers we paid for to good causes and other virtue – signalling activities than boring stuff like filling potholes.Given that the above is true, it can only get worse.
It will take the new adminsistration that long to see the acounts, to find out where the money was spent and who by and who had their fingers well and truly in the pie, figures the electorate were never meant to see, bit when reform took over in kent they made those figures public..
You are being too generous. I just look at them and can
immediately see they are way over their head.
They are not educated enough to be in such responsible
positions.
Typical ignorant comment from a numpty, to use your own argot. They all look alright to me, and I know one of them personally – he is a family man and as decent a chap as you could ever hope to meet.
If Price and Blake have any sense, they will be looking to “assist” Reform run the Council.
If they follow their “leader” Badenough and snub Reform, the Tories will; be wiped out.
Will be watching the worst the Island has to offer fail miserably and swiftly crawl back under the rocks from which they came.
Whilst I am personally vastly relieved that my own ward is represented by an amazing independent councillor, those Reform councillors who have been returned have been elected following due process. They have nearly 50% of the seats on the Island and will have the greatest say. We must give them a chance to perform well and hope that they do. But they should be aware that the eyes of the public are on them. The honeymoon is a short one and they will be expected to start delivering sooner rather than later. They will have their work cut out and by and large, holding public office is a thankless task at the best of times. You are under starters orders ladies and gentlemen.
What a sad day for our beautiful Island. We can only hope that people now see Reform for what they really are locally before a national election.
This will be the proof in the pudding Reform are no good.
How depressing . Let’s just hope people see them for what they are before the GE
Heaven help us
Thank goodness for that. Maybe they can do something to improve this island.
They’ve got just over 3 years to prove themselves any use to the voters if they want to win the next general election. Sadly there can’t be one sooner unless King Charles calls for one on the grounds of an incompetent government, which will continue to break the country and betray the people for it’s own gain, and by the time of the next election there will be sod all worth trying to save anyway
That’s one of the more insightful comments on these elections! The Tory vote disappeared in so many of these seats – and it’s not entirely reflective of national results; for Labour to win a Cowes seat is surely a tribute to Richard Quigley as it is even to Jock Rafferty. I don’t pretend Labour did well, here or elsewhere – they (we, let’s be honest) didn’t. But what’s clear is that Tory voters are switching to Reform, and Labour voters are heading towards the Greens – with LibDems mopping up much of the rest of the centre-left vote. I’ve been around is island politics for over 50 years, though – things can and do change. Once parties lose the personal contact between their candidates and voters, they’re on a hiding to nothing:Labour has, the Tories have – the answer for both ought to be obvious: TALK to people – you can’t represent people you just don’t know.
Finally people are waking up. Millions must go
The overall feeling in the UK is that the two main political parties have lost their way with looking after the population, and are merely mouth pieces for big organisations who want their own way. No one seems to have the balls to tackle major problems that need addressing, so hopefully Reform will do just that wherever they can. Think Post Office scandal, Water company sewage discharges, the convicted felon Trump with his tariffs and so on.
And if anyone wants to know the Reform UK policies, you can view them here https://www.reformparty.uk/policies
Trump is farages idol
Going back a few years remembering what a shit hole the torys turned the country into, and the thousands that died during the Covid crisis that need not have done thanks to their incompetence, the millions that where wasted to ministers who where supposed to be in charge of the PPE, and disappeared with the money instead, and then the next shit show that deliberately broke the country for their own gain, with a hatred for pensioners, working families, drivers and farmers, and betrayed every one of their own voters, but seem to a liking for the work avoidance brigade, who seem to be getting more and more free handouts, how the bloody hell can it be any worse. At least reform should be given a fair chance, if there is anything left worth saving that is by the time they even get given the chance