Leading candidates from the Greens, Independents and Our Island are putting aside politics for the sake of the Island and Island residents.
They believe that the 2021 Isle of Wight council election there is a strong likelihood the Conservatives will lose their majority. The coalition of candidates say the “bizarre claims that the choice for voters is between them [Cons] and Labour are simply untrue”.
Many candidates standing across the political spectrum have pledged to work together to create a “disciplined, diverse and organised coalition building on the widest possible range of strengths and skills rather than being based on narrow partisan interests”.
Palin: Vote for a person who will always put their community first
Cameron Palin, Green Party candidate for Osborne, said:
“Over the last four years we have seen the Conservative Council ignore Islanders’ concerns and put their own party politics first. I am ready to put the residents of Osborne and the Island first, because as a Green I am free to vote independently and for my community’s best interests.
“This means when you vote, you don’t only vote for someone with core principles and policies, but also for a person who will always put their community first.”
Andre: Systematic erosion of transparency and accountability by Conservatives
Debbie Andre, Independent candidate for Sandown North, added:
“Over the past four years, we have seen the systematic erosion of transparency and accountability by the Conservative administration at County Hall. An alliance working to agreed aims and policies will provide the necessary skills to restructure our broken Council.
“It will enable us to fully represent the Island, understand its needs and, working with local experts, find viable solutions to the issues we face, many of which stem from the maladministration of the past four years but are being blamed on the pandemic.”
Bacon: A chance to restore democracy
Jonathan Bacon, Our Island candidate for Brading and St Helens, said:
“We recognise that the way forward for the Island and the Council is to work together and put the Island first. The concentration on party political conflict, that we have seen far too much of in recent years has damaged the Island, its residents and businesses.
“We now have a chance to restore democracy and open up the Council so that residents can question what it does and be part of the decisions that affect how our money is spent.”
The coalition ask residents on Thursday 6th May to vote for the strongest non-Conservative candidate in your ward, “so we can all work together to create a more representative council that puts residents first”.
