At last night’s public consultation meeting (read our live coverage) on the Isle of Wight council (IWC) budget issues, the leader of the council, Cllr Jonathan Bacon revealed to the audience that Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government, Marcus Jones MP, has ‘taken on board’ and acknowledged the Island is ‘unique’.
It appeared this is the first time the current or previous government have acknowledged that fact.
Cllr Bacon explained to the audience at Medina Theatre (more attended last night than at all the separate budget meetings held last year) that IWC had met with and written to government officials asking for equal treatment.
Postcode lottery of services
Cllr Bacon said,
“What we really want is equal treatment for Island residents. Some authorities elsewhere in the country have actually done quite well out of the settlement and it seems utterly iniquitous to me that it becomes a postcode lottery for people who live on the Isle of Wight.
“Because of the way the settlement has been constructed, not taking into account of the unique features, people are not getting an equivalent service to those in other areas of the country.”
Bacon: “To my mind, that means he’s got to do something”
Cllr Bacon said they were “lobbying every level of government that would listen to us”. He went to to explain that at the meeting held on 6th January between the IWC, MP and Marcus Jones MP,
“We put that Island case and he [Marcus Jones] said ‘Yes, you are unique’.
“He adopted that word and he took it on board. If he’s going to adopt that word, if when we put those figures before him (summary of which shown at meeting) that showed that we haven’t got money to pay for our statutory services … we put those before him, his civil servants have not argued those figures.
“To my mind, that means he’s got to do something.
“They have accepted you are unique, your figures don’t add up.
“If they don’t respond on 4/5/6th February – whenever it is – it will be bizarre to my mind, but I’m not saying the bizarre can’t happen with this government.”
What makes the Island unique?
Cllr Bacon added there were other authorities in the country worse off than the Island, but reiterated that up until now, the government has not been taken account of the unique features of the demographic, for example, 26% of the Island population are aged 65 or over. That brings with it an additional strain on adult social care.
The increased costs and lower capacity rate of operating from an Island (a figure of 80% was mentioned) has also not previously been recognised by the government.
Bacon: Case put forward
Cllr Bacon assured the audience that a case has been put forward for a system that takes account of the unique differences living and operating on the Isle of Wight brings.
The IWC will find out by 6th February whether the minister’s acknowledgement have made any difference to the final financial settlement.
Image: © Simon Haytack
