Vix Lowthion shares this report from the Isle of Wight Green party. Ed
Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party alongside Caroline Lucas, visited the Isle of Wight on Saturday. He addressed a packed meeting at the Riverside Centre in Newport and also met residents in Ryde at the Ice Rink and new Isle Access facility planned for the town.
Isle Access promote inclusion
Mr Bartley, who is the Green Party spokesperson on Work and Pensions and has a teenage son who needs a wheelchair, met the directors of Isle Access in Ryde. He spoke with Jan Brookes and Karen Turner who told him all about their mission to promote accessibility and inclusion for everyone on the Island.
He was very impressed with their plans for a long disused building at the Esplanade rail station which they are leasing from South West Trains.
They discussed plans to develop a cafeteria, accessible kitchen, meeting room and Advice Centre to promote employment, training and work experience opportunities to anyone having difficulty in accessing employment.
Funding for Isle Access
Isle Access have recently secured funding from the Community Rail Partnership and the Rail Heritage Trust towards essential refurbishments totalling £280,000.
Anyone who wishes to offer further support or advice can contact them at [email protected]
Ways forward for skaters
Members of the Ryde Arena Community Action group, who are working to establish a future for the Ice Rink on the Isle of Wight, spoke with Mr Bartley and Green Ryde Town Councillor Michael Lilley outside the rink.
As a keen skater himself, Jonathan was concerned to hear of the immense difficulties faced by the rink users in recent weeks. They discussed possible ways forward, and the bigger picture regarding government funding cuts putting pressure on well-loved local services.
‘Blue New Deal’ for coastal communities
In the afternoon, the co-Leader of the Green Party spoke with enthusiasm and commitment to a lively audience at Newport’s Riverside Centre. A wide range of topics were tackled, including the threat to meeting climate change targets after the Brexit and Donald Trump votes this year.
Mr Bartley highlighted the Green Party’s ‘Blue New Deal’ for coastal communities, to explore how different areas of the coastal economy – including tourism, energy, fisheries, and aquaculture – can help inspire and support each other, concerning more jobs and economic prosperity.
A ‘progressive alliance’
He was pressed about working towards a ‘progressive alliance’ for elections, which has seen the Green Party step down from the Richmond parliamentary by-election next month with the aim of avoiding splitting the centre-left vote.
“A progressive alliance has to be open and transparent,” declared Mr Bartley, “I personally favour an Open Primary model to select a candidate”. He continued to explain how he saw the Green Party as being particularly strong on the Isle of Wight and this should be reflected in any way forward.
“Referendum lies – on both sides”
“Brexit means Brexit, as a statement, is frankly a load of cobblers!” Jonathan Bartley was very open about his disapproval of the “referendum lies – on both sides”, but he also identified how many citizens voted “from the heart: what resonates”, not just that they were lied to.
He concluded the discussion by looking to the Isle of Wight Council elections in May 2017, where he is confident that the IW Green Party will win seats, and called for Islanders to support their campaign through a variety of means.
Green Island
Jonathan Bartley has promised to return to the Isle of Wight in the near future.
A series of other high-profile visits will be announced shortly.
