Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice has said he would oppose asylum seekers being housed on the Isle of Wight, calling the idea ‘ridiculous’ in an interview with Island Echo, in which he also took aim at the Island’s ferry services and Southern Water.
During a visit to the Isle of Wight on Saturday (22nd August), Mr Tice took a walk through Ryde town, starting at the Veterans Lounge before wandering down Union Street, stopping in multiple local businesses on the way.
The high profile politican was joined by Councillor James Whelan (Reform Group Leader of the Isle of Wight) and Councillor Reuben Loake (Ryde North West) in speaking to business owners about issues such as tourism, parking charges and business taxes. They visited Festival Diner Bar, W Hurst & Son, Robert Lee Barbers and Duxmore Botanics.
Members of the public recognised Mr Tice as he made his way through Ryde, with many asking for pictures and enjoying the opportunity to converse with him and show their support.
Richard’s tour of the town came to an end before we settled down in a quiet corner of The Veterans pub on the Esplanade.
Island Echo was keen to pick Richard’s brains about whether he would oppose asylum seekers being accommodated on the Island – a hot topic of conversation for Islanders.
He said:
“100%. It’s a ridiculous idea, and our policy is very clear that these people actually have broken into our country illegally, and they should be detained and deported, processed rapidly.
“And instead, this government seems to want to just sort of spread them around, and that’s completely wrong.
“It’s not what the Islanders want.
“It’s not what the rest of the British people want. So we’re very clear about that.”
Mr Tice said Reform councillors on the Isle of Wight would do everything they could to oppose such a move, adding:
“With our councillors here, they will do everything they possibly can to prevent it.
“And, you know, there’s something very special about the Island. Very traditional, very English, and we want to retain that and grow it.”
As previously reported by Island Echo, Reform Isle of Wight previously said ‘we would oppose it’ after Prime Minister Andy Burnham commented on GB News that all parts of the country should ‘play their part’ in the dispersal of refugees and asylum seekers.
Following this, a community petition was launched on the Island, demanding the Isle of Wight Council, Home Office and other relevant authorities ensure that no asylum accommodation is commissioned locally without public consultation and assessments of the potential impact on Island services.
Island Echo asked Mr Tice whether the council should have the powers to oppose asylum accommodation, referencing a policy position previously put forward by Reform.
He said:
“The council should have the power to oppose it.
“In fact, we came out with a policy a couple of months ago which upset the lefties enormously. We said vote Reform councils and we said we should have a policy that if you vote Green, then you want asylum seekers and they can all go to the Green councils.
“But they didn’t seem to like that.”
The interview also turned to a topical issue for Island residents at the minute, Southern Water and sewage discharges around the Isle of Wight.
The Reform Deputy Leader criticised the water industry and its regulation, singling out Southern Water alongside other companies in the South East.
He said:
“I’ve been very critical of the water companies. Again, the private equity model, not properly regulated by Ofwat, and Southern Water’s one of the worst 2 or 3 companies alongside Thames Water, Southeast Water.
“Funnily enough, it’s all the Southeast water companies, and, something significant has got to change, and we’re looking at that.”
Mr Tice said Reform had called for Thames Water to be taken into special administration before concluding that Southern Water’s performance was unacceptable.
He added:
“We’ve said Thames Water should be taken into special administration, and, you know, Southern Water is, it’s just unacceptable. It’s as simple as that.”
Moving on to another huge issue facing Islanders, cross-Solent ferry services, Mr Tice said the issue had been raised with him by a number of people and questioned the current arrangements surrounding the ferry operators.
He said:
“Lots of people have raised this with me. I’ve been aware of it for some time, and just talking to James and other councillors earlier, you know, we’ve got to look at what are the options, what’s the leverage that the council’s got with the ferry companies.
“Because it seems to me and us that at the moment, it’s a bit of a free-for-all. And it’s unregulated, and, you know, the ferry companies, they keep being traded between different private equity groups.”
Mr Tice said businesses should be able to operate successfully while providing a reliable service, but added that customers should not feel they are being overcharged.
He continued:
“We want businesses to be well-run, provide a great service, a reliable service, but equally, no one likes being ripped off.
“And I think there is a better way to do things than is currently.”
James Whelan, Reform UK’s Group Leader on the Isle of Wight, also raised concerns about the impact of ferry disruption and the arrangements put in place when services cannot operate.
He said:
“We’re having to deal with the mechanical situation with the ferries, which has a massive knock-on for the economies like Town Centre and the rest of it, of course.
“And the provisions that are put in place aren’t good enough. So if they’re going to charge us through the nose for a ticket, they better be able to put a system, put a service on to replace that service.”
