Following Friday’s judgment on the High Court case against the Isle of Wight council for their changes to Adult Social Care policy, this in from the Isle of Wight Stop the Cuts Alliance. In their own words. Ed
Isle of Wight Stop the Cuts Alliance members are hailing the high court triumph of two vulnerable Islanders against the Isle of Wight Council’s unlawful adult care policies as a clear vindication of the campaigners’ principled stance against the authority’s ill-judged cuts in services.
Now the Alliance is calling for those responsible to be held to account for their law breaking that has resulted in unnecessary additional anxiety to people already suffering as members of the Island community in need of care.
Councillor should consider his position
An Alliance spokesman said, “The council’s head of legal services, Davina Fiore, costs us some £106,000 a year. With the council’s claim to be always seeking value for money, we would ask County Hall to seriously consider if Ms Fiore is worth all that cash after this legal debacle.
“The cabinet member responsible, Cllr Roger Mazillius, should also consider his position. His complacent and patronising statements to the media after the court ruling only add further insult to injury for those involved.”
Demand for costs to be revealed
The Alliance is to press County Hall to reveal the total cost of the legal action that proved the authority’s actions to be unlawful.
The spokesman added, “Court costs in this kind of case can run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
“Just how many Island libraries, loos and tourist information centres could have been saved if the council had listened to us and done the job it is supposed to do by providing proper services to the community, especially to the most vulnerable, rather than cutting them in the cavalier manner highlighted now by the High Court?”
