Isle of Wight Conservative leader Ed Blake has accused a senior Reform UK councillor of being ‘incapable’ of answering a public question on her own.
Councillor Blake launched an attack on the Chair of the Children’s Services, Education and Skills Committee, Councillor Ros Freeman, after the panel was probed last week on reducing Island school places and possible school closures.
The Tory education councillor claimed Councillor Freeman ‘doesn’t feel the confidence’ that she is able to say what she wants without being controlled by her party.
Councillor Freeman has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter.
Question submitted on school places
Last Thursday (2nd July 2026), she read out a response to a question submitted by Simon Richards which she attributed to both herself and Reform group leader Councillor James Whelan.
The statement said,
“Our priorities are not closing schools.
“Our priority is improving education. The Reform UK group want parents to feel that their local school is the best place for their child to learn and thrive.”
Reform councillors later joined other education committee members in agreeing that reducing the number of Isle of Wight school places, which may mean school closures, is a ‘critical and urgent’ priority.
Blake: Why can’t you answer the question?
Councillor Blake said the answer from councillors Whelan and Freeman did not represent his view as a committee member.
He said,
“I’m confused as to why a question directed to you (Councillor Freeman) has to be answered by councillor Whelan and yourself.
“Why can’t you answer the question?”
Freeman: I wrote the answer
Councillor Freeman said she wrote the answer and as a new councillor and Chair of the Committee, wanted the answer checked which she said had been done by the council’s democratic services.
The councillor also said she wanted the chair of her party to read it.
Councillor Blake remarked that this raises ‘more questions than answers’.
Officer sets out the rules
Council officer Simon Wiggins earlier said the question was put to the Committee’s Chair and it is for them to provide the response.
He added that how that response is formulated is within the chair’s control.
Blake: I have self-determination
After the meeting, Councillor Blake told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS),
“Kemi Badenoch or the chair of the (Conservative) association does not tell me what to do politically. As a councillor I am there to represent the party.
“But I’m there to act as a councillor and I have self-determination in that. Every other councillor that I’ve ever come across…has demonstrated that.
“Councillor Freeman doesn’t feel the confidence that she’s able to say what she wants without being controlled by the party. That is one way you could read into that.”
He added that ultimately Councillor Freeman is saying she is ‘incapable’ of answering a question.
Councillor Whelan has also been approached for comment, but has yet to respond.
Reform has 19 councillors on the council and Conservatives have two.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
