Thanks to ABC for submitting this Letter to the Editor – Ed.
Did the One Wight campaign achieve the success claimed by its organisers and its supporters – the Isle of Wight County Press and IW Radio?
Their two aims (from Launch Day until the petition arrived at 10 Downing Street) were for an undivided Island and for one MP to continue to represent the largest constituency in the country (see the logo).
What actually happened
What happened? The Island was divided in two and we have two MPs, which is what many (no-one knows how many) of us wanted and welcomed.
The media, the MP and everyone else is involved in OneWight can bluster and try to spin the truth as much as they like but I suspect many of them never wanted two MPs.
Politicians and journalists in bed together are not good for democracy and any respect and trust the rest of us had for them are greatly diminished when attempts are made to re-write history.
As celebrated editor C.P. Scott wrote: “Comment is free, but facts are sacred.” Or has that been replaced by “don’t let the facts spoil a good story”?