This in from Jonathan bacon on behalf of the Island Independent Group of Councillors. Prior to this OnTheWight contacted Cllr Dave Stewart on Wednesday night with a number of questions surrounding this issue. We’re still awaiting answers to specific questions. Ed
‘Roy’s Boys’
A withdrawn motion and questions at last night’s Isle of Wight Full Council Meeting (read live coverage) left a clear impression that Isle of Wight Conservatives are acting under the direction of the Leader of Hampshire County Council, Roy Perry, to block consideration of the potential Solent Deal under which significant funding could be given to the Isle of Wight to assist in addressing some of its financial issues and help regeneration activity.
Hampshire seeking new super-unitary’ authority
The Isle of Wight Conservatives sought to have the views of Hampshire County Council taken into account in determining what the Isle of Wight should do in the future. Hampshire County Council is strongly opposed to the Solent Deal, which looks to devolve powers to local unitary Councils, including the Isle of Wight.
Hampshire is instead seeking to take over local District Councils and create a new ‘super-unitary’ authority in the South of England.
IW Conservatives strongly allied with Hampshire
In a question to Conservative group leader Dave Stewart, Councillor Steve Stubbings asked whether Councillor Stewart’s actions and those of other of his group members gave the impression that he had been talking to the Leader of Hampshire County Council, Roy Perry, and whether the now apparent wish to derail the Solent Deal might be with a view to his group wishing that the Isle of Wight be subsumed into a Conservative led Hampshire and Isle of Wight?
No clear answer was given to these points, but what is clear is that there has been a change of approach in recent weeks by the Isle of Wight Conservative group which now appears to be strongly allied with the aims of Hampshire County Council.
It appears that Isle of Wight Conservatives have worked out that their desire to take back control of the Isle of Wight Council is so unlikely due to their performance in last few years, which has been characterised by ignorance, absence and offensive behaviour, that their only hope is to join forces with others across the water to create a Conservative controlled Hampshire Unitary Council.
Promises of help not honoured
Jonathan Bacon, Leader of the Island Independents, stated,
“The current Solent Deal proposal does not involve Hampshire County Council and would instead give the Isle of Wight, in partnership with Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils, greater autonomy from central government together with significant funding to invest in economic growth.
“The Isle of Wight is involved in the process of considering whether to enter such a deal due to the funding crisis imposed on it by the Conservative Government which was supported by our Conservative MP Andrew Turner when he voted in favour of the current financial settlement in Westminster.
“Promises at that time of help being given to the Island have not been honoured. Instead the Secretary of State for Local Government, when visiting the Island earlier this year, made it clear that the Island would be offered nothing other than what it could get through a devolution deal.
“For the local Conservative Group to now seek to ‘block’ this (to use the words of one of their members) together with their clear desire to favour Hampshire County Council’s policy of centralisation seems to clearly show that their only concern is power for the Conservative Group, if needs be as part of Hampshire County Council, rather than any desire to support the Island or its residents.”
