Isle of Wight East MP Joe Robertson has launched a scathing attack on Government plans to merge the Isle of Wight with Hampshire.
He says the deal is ‘offensive’ and will strip Islanders of control over key local decisions.
The controversial proposals come under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which would see a new regional Mayor elected to represent a vast area covering both Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from May next year. The Mayor will be based on the mainland and will have powers to raise council tax, manage housing and transport – but not ferries.
In a passionate speech to Parliament, Mr Robertson said the Isle of Wight would be relegated to just 7% of the new authority’s population, with 93% living in Hampshire. He warned that the new Mayor, backed mostly by mainland voters, could overrule local wishes on housing and planning.
Joe Robertson, MP for Isle of Wight East, said:
“For the Isle of Wight, it is about fusing our Island with Hampshire, where 93% of the population will live on the mainland and just 7% on the Island – under a combined mayoral authority.
“The Isle of Wight Council will lose powers over strategic planning so that a Mayor who represents largely Hampshire voters will be able to allocate more housing on the Island.”
He went on to criticise the decision to adopt the name “Solent” for the new authority, warning that the name “Isle of Wight” could vanish from public services altogether. Mr Robertson argued that the branding could be used across policing, health, fire and rescue, and other vital agencies, eroding the Island’s identity.
Government correspondence with Mr Robertson revealed that “Solent” was the preferred name of the local council leaders involved – including Isle of Wight Council Leader Phil Jordan.
Addressing Parliament, Mr Robertson also attacked the omission of ferry regulation from the Mayor’s portfolio, calling it a glaring oversight given its critical importance to his constituents.
Joe Robertson continued:
“The Mayor will get no powers over the biggest transport issue facing my constituents. So, Solent is in the name of the Combined Authority, but the Mayor will get no powers over ferries.
“And our ferries are the only unregulated, entirely privatised, foreign-owned, debt-laden key transport providers in the UK.”
While he acknowledged the Maritime Minister had recently visited the Isle of Wight and offered “warm words” on ferry reform, the MP said those promises must now be backed by action. He called for regulatory powers over cross-Solent travel to be included in the deal.
Mr Robertson concluded his speech by warning of a future where the Island could be financially sidelined in favour of Hampshire. He compared the situation to concerns around the Integrated Care Board, which he claims has already diverted hospice funding away from Mountbatten Hospice in Newport.
“The local ICB is already raiding money from our hospice to spend it on Hampshire hospices. And in the mayor deal, we need powers to stop this happening.”
Well said sir – but will it make any difference?
“The local ICB is already raiding money from our hospice to spend it on Hampshire hospices. And in the mayor deal, we need powers to stop this happening.”
Thank goodness we have the voice of Joe Robertson speaking out for the island in Parliament.
but why bother,..
if (when) Deform get in to power, I’m sure they’ll do to hospices, what they’ve stated they intend to do with the NHS.. & make them ‘insurance’ funded..
so if you’re rich & can afford insurance, you’ll be OK,.. if not you’ll just have to die in a gutter somewhere,..
(the unfortunate reality of beleving Farage’s BS & voting Deform)
With the amount of Tories defecting to Reform
The Reform party will be the old Tory party,
only difference Farage will be leader of the gang.
Robertson, who inherited the poisoned chalice from Seldom Seen, would do well to remember that HIS party had FOURTEEN years in which they could have done what Robertson is now “proposing”.
Instead they chose to do nothing except for closing the country down over Covid and enriching their supporters by giving them £millions to supply useless PPE.
The chickens are coming home to roost thanks to Johnson and co.
Believe me, I’m no tory, but now is the time to consolidate. Whichever political party you support, divisions must be put to one side. Unity is strength and we must all make our voices heard and fight these proposals. Successive governments have refused to award us ‘Island’ status, despite there being a major clue in the name. Should we become Hampshire and Solent area, our Island status will never be recognised. Governments don’t want to recognise us as an Island as it would mean we would be entitled to extra funding.
Naming the area Hampshire and Solent is an insult to the Islands status, heritage and autonomy.
People still don’t understand, whether voting
Labour, Conservative or Lib Dems.
Same Elite WEF bosses
Hear, Hear.
Mayors, especially the Ventnor one and his cronies, and tories and liebour politicians don’t give a shit anyway, say the words but don’t actually do anything at all.
None of them are any good, all organisations
employed by the Government are rogues
Look at many Civil servants some only go in the
office 1 or 2 days a week, some once in a blue moon
yet they are getting paid extorting salaries and extortionate
pensions and the ones shirking in the big smoke full
London Weighting.
No wonder there is a blackhole of £50 billion
I would like to know how many true islander’s want a mayor as said we need island status not a over paid mayor
I agree, but sadly the majority of persons living on
the island are not true Islanders, so they don’t care.
Could you define which of us are “untrue”
The island needs a mayor like Khan, there are NO
rules on the island.
Bus couldn’t stop at bus stop outside Wetherspoons
today due to numpty scaffolders parking in the bus lane.
Where else in the country would they let a bunch of
numpties park in the bus stop.
Health and safety is shit on the island, road sweepers
in the ground wear hard hats, numpty scaffolders
working at height NO hard hats.
The island is a joke, the island need rules.
Robertson is just saying what you want to hear, he cannot influence anything, decisions are made by the grown ups.