Sarah Pochin MP has backed Reform UK to make a major impact on the Isle of Wight, as the party contests every seat in next month’s Council elections.
Visiting the Island this afternoon (Monday), the Runcorn and Helsby MP addressed candidates standing in the Isle of Wight Council elections, with Reform UK fielding contenders in all 39 wards – the only party to do so.
Speaking exclusively to Island Echo, Pochin struck a confident tone after meeting candidates and supporters across the Island.
“What I’ve seen today is so positive. We are standing in all 39 wards. Everyone can vote Reform.”
Her visit also carried a personal note. This was not her first time on the Isle of Wight, with the MP revealing a longstanding connection dating back to childhood holidays.
“I grew up with a bucket and spade on Sandown beach, so it’s always special to come back.”
Pochin, whose by-election victory last year was decided by just 6 votes, used her experience to underline the importance of every ballot cast as campaigning intensifies ahead of polling day.
Turning to local issues, she highlighted the condition of the Island’s roads as a key concern, suggesting more could be done to hold contractors and existing agreements to account.
“People are telling us on the doorstep that nothing can be done, but that’s simply not true. Contracts can be challenged, scrutinised and, if necessary, changed.”
She also pointed to what she described as wasteful council spending, arguing that inefficiency can limit opportunities for younger residents and contribute to a lack of social mobility.
Drawing on Reform’s growing foothold in local government, Pochin said the 9 councils won by the party last year had already made savings—something she believes could be replicated on the Isle of Wight.
Ferry costs were another major talking point during her visit, with the MP admitting she had been shocked and astonished at the price of summer crossings, particularly for those travelling with a car.
Looking beyond local concerns, she urged candidates to remain focused on national priorities, placing particular emphasis on support for veterans.
“We will never let our veterans down. That commitment runs right through everything we do.”
So far, Reform UK are the only party standing in the local elections to have held a public election campaign launch event here on the Isle of Wight.
Now I know what Faces not to serve in my cafe, bunch of racists
Can you name your cafe so the racists know where not to spend their money?
Awwww, feeling hurt as I don’t like Reform or their so called politics.
Got to be better than the pile of stinking excrement we have now.
So true, keep louts out.
Excellent
what cafe?
Why? Doesn’t matter. The joys of having a business, is the right to refuse service
God help us if they get in here. There’s enough racism about, we don’t need them with any power whatsoever on the island.
I just hope the good people of the island see through the suits & flags they hide behind. They’re NOT patriotic they’re racist.
Let’s hope the educated people wake up and
Cross the right box.
True Sharon
What will Reform achieve!
Really? This is the report from the Good Law Project:
It would be very, very foolish to believe anything they say. Even more foolish to ignore this and vote for them anyway.
Unfortunately, the whole structure of Farage’s ’empire’ is based on consistent and repetitive lies, and mis-information.
deliberate, obsessive, and divisive, focus on minor issues (such as immigration), to make people expect that all of their problems will be solved if they vote reform, as well as promising ‘what people want’ with no ability, or intention, of providing…
if the results of reform getting into power wasn’t so potentially damaging to the fabric of British society, I would say “go ahead and vote for them,.. & feel the pain of what you created, when it all goes wrong”… but (like with other things Farage has championed) if they get into ‘power’, the damage they cause may be irreversible…
leave the ECHR, which gives us (honest, legal, UK residents) much more protection than it does to ‘illegal’ immigrants.
reduce / scrap the minimum wage… remove employees protections…
Just take a look at reform’s stated policies
· raise the income Tax threshold
· cut fuel duty
· abolish VAT on energy bills.
· abolish Inheritance Tax
all of which sound, nice… (that’s the idea) we all get more in our pockets…
but the loss of tax revenue for the government, from these, would be massive..~
and then they say ‘’achieve ‘zero NHS waiting lists’ “,.. so if they’re massively reducing tax revenue,.. where’s the money for that going to come from…
and then there’s Farage’s stated aim of “moving the NHS to an insurance based system”… so maybe that’s how they’ll ‘reduce waiting lists’… if you can’t afford insurance, you won’t get treatment, so you won’t be on any waiting list…..
UK welfare spending is forecast to reach £333.7 billion in 2025–26.
Of the asylum system costs roughly £3 billion annually… so less than 1%….
If they do as promised, and get rid of all the small boats, and asylum seekers,… it’ll save piss-all..
So, if they reduce tax revenue, as they state they will, then if you in any way rely on government spending… e.g. Pensions, Pension Credit, Disability benefits, Universal Credit, PIP, Child support, old-age care… NHS?
it may well be you, that suffers from the inevitable cuts in government spending.
after 14 years of Conservative destruction of the UK economy, , and nearly two years of negligible improvements, from Labour, things are pretty bad… but as bad as things are, (bearing in mind that the reform party, is mostly made up of failed CONservatives, & greedy ex-bankers).. they could get much worse.
so, for the sake of your future, as well as everyone else’s… just THINK, before you vote for them….
Absolutely, 100% accurate. So nice to see a comment from someone with critical thinking skills on here.
But that’s the trouble…people DON’T think. They don’t seem to realise he’s taking his leave from people like Trump’s playbook. Scrapping (or attempting to) Medicaid and the Affordable care act has meant that many middle-income Americans have had to go with insurance. A woman I know in Utah has cancer, the funding was cut and she was re-placed in a bracket of affordability….was deemed a pre-existing condition due to her DNA and has ended up with a 60k bill to save her life. Insurance co’s have a bigger department to try to mitigate claims than they do salesmen. They’ve put a claim on her house so she’s now terminally ill AND homeless. Oops. Too late.
Beware any populist snake-oil salesman masquerading as a politician.
I’d vote for 100% inheritance tax though. But I’ll bet you if Farage was behind it there’d be a loop-hole for people like Tice. One law for them……
Really? Well, first of all, I think despite their promises, Reform councils have found it much harder than they thought to make savings, as all councils have been starved of money during 14 years of so-called austerity. All the Reform councils have raised council taxes, like every other council. To suggest that any council, including this one, is wasting money, is frankly insulting. Secondly, local councillors should absolutely not be concerning themselves with national issues, unless they are directly impacting the council’s work. We have elected MPs for that. Local councillors have enough work to do dealing with local issues. We have some great local councillors who work tirelessly for local people. Don’t believe the empty promises of those parachuted in to impose national political self- interests on local elections
Exactly !!
Nige talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk.
Does he even know where Clacton is!
Do you?
I wouldn’t vote for those hooligans if you paid me.
They are clueless and useless!
I’m voting reform, but i get so frustrated and squirm of how scruffy some of these candidates look in this pic. Sarah Ponchin looks smart and i can only identify about 4 or 5 that are just about presentable. Advice.. Show respect with a good dress code for people who you’re looking to support you.
Majority of them are working class numpties.
Enough said!, we need brains running the show, not
brawn!
You’ve confused me? Dress code that was my point?
Bill Jacobs, why is island Echo sending me your post approvals in Canada?