Joe Robertson MP has this week met with the Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security to discuss what plans the new Labour Government has to improve cross-Solent travel services for Isle of Wight residents.
While the discussions were cordial, Joe raised significant concerns about the Government’s understanding of the transformational changes required to address the Island’s unique transport challenges.
The Isle of Wight East MP explained to Minister Mike Kane MP that the continuing status quo is simply unacceptable for Islanders and that there is a clear demand for government intervention. Furthermore, high costs are putting off visitors and damaging the local economy.
Mr Robertson said that UK public transport is underpinned by public money and minimum service obligations imposed by the Government except for Isle of Wight ferries which are an outlier.
The Labour Government is currently taking trains into public ownership starting with South Western Railway which runs Island Line, and spending a further billion pounds on buses including millions for the Isle of Wight. The British taxpayer also subsidises Scottish ferries.
Following the meeting with the Minister, Joe Robertson MP said:
“The Isle of Wight is a complete outlier, entirely reliant on private, foreign-owned, unregulated, unsubsidised, debt-laden companies for essential travel.
Article continues below this advertisement “All we are asking is for the Island to be treated the same as everyone else at a time when the Government is reforming UK transport. This is not simply a breakdown in trust between ferry companies and the public – the cross-Solent transport model is broken and needs the Government to take action.
“I look forward to welcoming Minister Mike Kane to the Island next year, and hopefully, we can persuade him that he needs to shift from his position of the Government being a mere facilitator of meetings to one where the Government plays a role in cross-Solent travel, like with trains, buses and Scottish ferries.
“We need a long-term, permanent solution that ensures Islanders can live, work, and visit family without paying huge costs to foreign-owned ferry companies and their shareholders.”
Another photo opportunity for Joe. He looks more and more like half a sausage every day.
I think he’s doing a great job and no, I’m not a Tory and did not vote for him. He’s sincere, articulate and intelligent.
Much better than Quigley.
I thought Quigley had promised this to be all sorted by now.
Don’t hold your breath.
He wouldn’t know where to start.
Come back Bob
its funny how Joe Robertson is calling on the Labour government to do something about it…
when the party he was elected for, has categorically stated that
a. they would not do anything (beneficial to Islanders) about it.
b. it was their party’s policy that private companies should be allowed, and even encouraged, to make massive proffits from situations like the IOW ferries.
(yes, the deputy transport minister at the time, actually said that (paraphrased) to Half Sausage Seely, when he made his ‘plea’ at the commons, on the subject, to try to boost his re-election chances…)
Probably because the Tories weren’t taking services back into public ownership during their tenure. Better late than never.
I am not a Tory but I believe Mr Robertson is taking the right approach (as is Mr Quigley). Not for nothing did the now Wighlink ferries used to be run by Sealink as part of the public British Rail operation. This is not just a commercial operation but an essential part of the infrastructure of Island life. The service needs to either be part of the public sector or it needs to be regulated by government to ensure that a proper balance between commercial profitability and maintaining essential transport and supply chains is guarenteed.
The fact that we have two MPs of differing political persuasions pulling in the same direction for the good of their constituents is a very positive and welcome position. Neither are playing silly political games or trying to score cheap tricks at the expense of the other but rather they are getting on with what they have been elected to do for the good of the Island inhabitants. Thank you, gentlemen.