On Wednesday the future of the Isle of Wight Council will be decided.
Since the results of the election, announced on May 7th, who is in charge of the Isle of Wight Council has been hanging in the balance.
No party received enough seats to gain the majority, with the Conservatives losing their hold on the council as well as their party leader.
A group need to have 20 seats to control the 39-seat council but the Conservatives fell two seats short and have been trying to work out a way forward since then, including an open letter to all opposition councillors from the new leader, Cllr Steve Hastings, with an invitation to come forward if they had any ideas.
The balance of power
The final pieces will fall into place on Wednesday (26th May) when the leadership will be voted on at the annual meeting.
The Conservatives are the party closest to the 20-seat target, but if all other councillors elected onto the Isle of Wight Council — 13 independent, two Green, two Island Independent Network, one Labour, one Liberal Democrat, one Our Island and one Vectis Party, a total of 21 — banded together in a coalition they could take the majority and vote in a leader of their choosing.
The elected leader will potentially be in office for the next four years and will then determine who makes up their cabinet, with the power to make some of biggest decision for the Island.
Chairpersons
At the same meeting, a new chair and vice-chair will be elected by the councillors, after both Cllrs George Cameron and Shirey Smart lost their seats.
Councillors will also be appointed to committees of the council and outside bodies.
Political proportionality
It will also be considered whether other arrangements such as reverse political proportionality should be applied to some committees.
Reverse political proportionality means there are more councillors of opposing parties scrutinising the decisions made by the main group.
It formerly applied to the scrutiny committee.
Not at County Hall
The meeting on 26th May will also be the council’s first meeting to be physically held in person since the start of the Covid pandemic.
Covid safety measures will be in place, but the meeting will not be held in the usual chambers at County Hall, instead taking place in the 1Leisure sports hall at Medina, to ensure there is enough space to socially distance.
Details of the agenda can be read on the council’s Website.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: © Isle of Wight Council
