The Isle of Wight branch of Reform UK has strongly condemned the cancellation of May’s local elections on the Island – and has called for the Island’s MPs to resign from their roles on the local authority.
Sarah Morris, Branch Chair, has said that the Labour Government has launched an ‘appalling attack on democracy’ which has been ‘aided and abetted’ by the Isle of Wight Council.
Speaking this week, Sarah has said:
“From the moment that our councillors signed up to the government’s fast-track plans for devolution and, at the same time, agreed to request the postponement of our 2025 local elections, it was obvious what was going to follow.
“To absolutely no one’s surprise, the Island has been accepted onto the devolution fast track and our elections cancelled. Running alongside devolution is the plan to reorganise local councils, which brings with it the threat that our council could be forced into a merger with a mainland authority.
“The cancellation of our elections is an affront to democracy. Existing councillors have secured themselves at least 12 more months in office to progress a devolution policy that Islanders, including the 13,000 who voted Reform at the General Election, have not and will not get a chance to give an opinion of via the ballot box”.
The Party says there may still be an opportunity for Reform supporters to make themselves heard this year; if Joe Robertson MP and Richard Quigley MP resign as local councillors.
In interviews with Island Echo last year, both Members of Parliament said they would not stand down upon being elected as MPs in order to prevent a bi-election, but would not stand for re-election in the local elections this May.
Sarah adds:
“Despite the removal of our democratic right to elect a new council this year, there is an option for Reform UK supporters to make themselves heard.
“Our 2 MPs have retained their seats on the Island’s council, although neither can effectively carry out their duties or attend council meetings regularly as they are busy in Westminster. They should do the honourable thing and resign their council seats, allowing at least some Islanders to have their say in a by election – or are they worried about the possible embarrassment of losing their seats to Reform UK?”
I do believe the “cabinet” as they like to call themselves, voted in a way that gives them another year in office AGAINST the wishes of the majority of the council who in effect wanted the elections to go ahead as normal.
Corrupt as fcuk.
We pay their wages and they deny people their chance
to vote!
Smells to me like a Poundland version of a Weimar Republic is brewing, brought about for the same economic reasons the present incumbents did not create but as they have not managed to fix it yet, they surely must be to blame. The trouble is, as was then, there aren’t enough people left who know how this plays out, and few today interested enough in the historical origins of dictators. See also ‘America’.
They are correct the MPs should resign their roles on the IOW council it is just not possible for them to carry our the job as IOW councillors I suppose they will still take the allowances. I want my vote in May but we won’t get that either as Jordan and mates want to hang on to their jobs and take the money.
Will never happen.
Also Dick is still busy sorting the Ferries
Lol.
I have got to an age now to realise all
Politicians are useless, they DON’T represent
US the people, and they never will do!
Hence my voting days are over, all policies
come from the Governments elite bosses,
Politicians are only the puppets they employ
to do their dirty work!
The one thing that concerns me about Reform
so many uneducated Numpty’s vote for them!
At least the Conservatives are well educated,
it makes a difference.
Hark at you Mr mouth piece you’re thicker than thick, all everybody hears from your useless comments on this site is how your driving is better than everyone else etc etc, go climb back in your box as everyone has had enough of you dip stick
I have to teach uneducated Numpty’s like yourself
right from wrong
Never too late for you to get an education
Lol
£91,346 approx pa+ expenses, of course the Rabble will not resign.
That’s £60,000.00 a year too much
What a joke REFORM UK PARTY LIMITED is. None of the “members” get a vote on any of the company’s policies nor who leads it. Its sole purpose seems to be the enrichment of Farage and the other directors. The only objective Farage has been consistent on is the deconstruction of the NHS.
The country is doomed all parties are controlled by
the WEF, Reform will be no different when they are offered
the same deal as the other parties.
“Both I.o.W MPs said they would not stand down upon being elected as MPs in order to prevent a bi-election, but would not stand for re-election in the local elections this May.”
Now that they have prevented democracy add the only reason they’re not standing in Mays because they’ve canceled the local elections.
It is quite obvious that the Labour Party is desperate to keep reform out of even the tiniest position on the Isle of Wight Council,
As well as the obvious fact that they would lose many councils
Both are 1 term wonders, who will ever be silly
enough to vote for these useless politicians again!
What happened to them dealing with the Ferries?
They couldn’t undo a packet of crisps between them.
Bob Seely was a better politician
Seeley and politician dont go together,he was as much use as a chocolate teapot,its pretty obvious you are a brainwashed,deluded tory,thats why he got booted,he was useless and only there for himself.
then again,quigley is just a “yes” man,and equally as useless,and robertson,well,he is a tory so that speaks for itself,our so called council are useless too,we need new blood in government,instead of continually tooing and froing between tories and liebour,they are all corrupt,do not represent the people that put them there.
and we have just had our democratic right to vote removed,so dont pay your council tax,like many are going to do,but that wont bother you,as judging by your past comments you have a nice pension coming in,and dont need your heating allowance anyway,you are showing that you are a stuck up,deluded tory,and a bit dim if you think seeley was a good politician.
Shows how shit labour is ..cowards liers all of them are hated ..
Labour is a 1 term party!, never again will they get
Voted in, unless the figures are fiddled.
I agree with the suggestion for both MPs to stand down
Here Here.
I am surprised Charlie doesn’t get involved
after all it his HM Government and he usually
signs things off in Parliament.
I very much regret that ‘OUR’ King is not on ‘Our’ side. We have been abandoned in my opinion. The recent knighthood of the Mayor of London (one day to become leader of the Labour party) showed the King for what he really must be. It is said that the monarch cannot get involved in politics, but he did in his Christmas Speech and , in my opinion, showed that his loyalty does not lie with the Indigenous people of Britain, nor with Christianity. There is a Watt Tyler in the land, but he is in languishing in solitary confinement in a maximum security prison and the way things are, could be there for a very long time.
The two individuals concerned very obviously have no interest in the future of the Island and in my view have to be looked upon as traitors as should all members of all parties who have decided to disenfranchised millions of us. There is absolutely no excuse for it. There will most probably be no local elections for at least two years and what’s the betting that the next General Election will be stopped as well. How long before the seven new super mayors of the enlarged authorities will put religion first before the good of the electorate and set about changing all that we hold dear.
How dare a handful of treacherous people be permitted to get away with what amounts to an act of sabotage which will lead to locals having no real say in what happens in their locality.
They are lining their own pockets
In 5 years with their fat salaries and extortionate
Expense claims + tax payers paid for 2nd homes
It is costing the country over £2,000,000.00
to employ these two!
Mickey and Minnie could do a better job.
Personally I have lost faith in politics, they don’t
represent me or my family.
They took away the winter fuel allowance,
they are obviously not on our side.
Why don’t Reform UK on the island do a “mock” election on May 1st, just to see how many people would like to kick this awful, corrupt “boys club” out of power. If they tried I can guarantee starmers nazis would do there very best to come out with a load of legal crap to stop it. Savilles mate in No. 10 would stomp on the idea so quickly.
I’m pretty sure a fair few would vote for them. Exactly the same proportion that has no clue what devolution means, what powers the council members have, how funding arrives from Westminster and how it dictates what it can or cannot be spent on. Exactly the same people who voted for Brexit no doubt, in spite of many many folks telling them that it would make the SME’s tank and allow big business to rinse all our pockets. And lo, it comes to pass. Good luck with Reform. Farage and Tice must be laughing up their sleeves. ‘Tis easy to get the masses to do your bidding, all you have to do is tell them they’re being persecuted….’ Why? Because they’re too thick to work it out for themselves.
I agree we need change, but majority of Reformers
are r acist uneducated thugs.
You only have to look at many of their representatives
and voters.
No place in society for such a party.