If you missed our post earlier in the week, Stephanie Mullins is our latest intern. She’s spending two weeks with us from Sheffield University where she’s taking a journalism degree. Steph accompanied me to the full council meeting last night and was left with pretty much the same impression and me on my first visit. Ed
How can politicians expect the public and the media to respect them when they can’t respect each other?
I attended my first full council meeting on the Isle of Wight last night and was fascinated, appalled and astonished all at the same time.
For a group of representatives who are supposed to stand for the people, I marvel at their ability to shoot each other down, undermine the ideas of individuals and disregard the whole concept of polite society.
Whatever happened to negotiation?
Name-calling across the room, mocking each other, muttering under their breath while others speak … it is the behaviour of children.It is clear to me within five minutes who will be ignored. As it stands, the Isle of Wight Council is composed of 25 Conservatives, nine Independents, four Liberal Democrats, one Labour and one Other.
Cllr Geoff Lumley, Labour, walked out of the meeting when he was not allowed to raise a point of order/clarification. The meeting had to be adjourned while the Chairman, Cllr Scoccia, spoke to him outside.
The pieces that don’t fit together
The agenda itself didn’t seem to make sense to me. I’ve been told that the council has closed all Tourist Information Centres on the Island, shut more than 40% of public toilets, stopped paying lifeguards, cancelled the Ryde Interchange and carried out various other seemingly negative actions.
Yet yesterday’s agenda included allocating public money for new beach huts, upgrading cycling and walking infrastructure and a whole weekend called “Celebrate the Isle of Wight”. Is this really what the Island and the Islanders need or want?
Closing all Tourist Information Centres and then buying new beach huts aren’t two pieces of the same puzzle in my book.
There is a huge rift between the Council’s previous actions and these new one-off proposals.
Referring to the beach huts initiative, Cllr David Pugh, Leader of the Council, said: “I know it was described by one Councillor in the County Press as ‘petty’… but join me in refuting such a suggestion”. How can it be seen as anything other than petty when it seems as though so many other issues need to be addressed?
They go on to praise themselves for an underspend, but surely that just means money needing to be spent is sat in the pot.
Crushing the alternatives
A number of Independent Councillors opposed these proposals, Cllr Jonathan Bacon even provided a written amendment, which was quickly quashed by the Tory majority.
His amendment, however, seemed to make perfect sense, including the reintroduction of an affordable residents car parking permit, regenerating the Library Service and supporting the unemployed. It also proposed to re-open the Tourist Information Centres, fund lifeguard services for major seaside resort beaches and a toilet expansion scheme.
It seems as though any proposals put forward by a non-Conservative on this Council struggle to be heard, never mind accepted.
A plea
Islanders should go to these meetings and see for themselves how their council is run.
In my view, immature and distasteful behaviour runs rife on the Isle of Wight Council. I should make clear that this is not every Councillor, but there are too many that are rude and disrespectful while others sit idle and watch it happen.
It is not acceptable for Councillors to mock their peers when they speak up for something they believe in. Since when have we stood by and let people ridicule others when they have worked hard and are speaking on our behalf?
These are the people that have been voted in to represent the thoughts and opinions of the Island. Is this what the Islanders have been voting for?
Image: yakkhapadma under CC BY 2.0
