On Monday this week the results of a survey of 14,000 people across the country, labelled the “most authoritative opinion poll in five years” predicted that the two Isle of Wight constituency seats will be won by the Labour Party at the next General Election.
News OnTheWight sought responses to the news from all political parties on the Isle of Wight, which you can read below. We start with Isle of Wight councillor for Cowes North, Richard Quigley, who is also the Chair of Island Labour and has put himself forward as the parliamentary candidate for IW West.
Quigley: It’s all to play for and we don’t have to accept the Island is ‘true blue’
Councillor Quigley told News OnTheWight,
“It’s obviously very encouraging for us to see this poll, though I read the prediction with caution as we can’t and won’t take anything for granted.
“What is clear, is that it’s not just nationally people are fed up with this government, but from the many conversations I’ve had with Islanders, even life long Conservatives are fed up with the lack of delivery from Bob Seely.
“It does show it’s all to play for and we don’t have to accept the Island is ‘true blue’.”
Seely: The poll that counts is the one on polling day
Dr Robert Seely MBE MP, the incumbent Conservative MP for the Isle of Wight, said,
“Being the Island’s MP is a labour of love, and a massive privilege.
“The poll that counts is the one on polling day.
“Islanders will have a choice between Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives, who have a plan and are sticking to it, or Sir Kier Starmer and Labour, who snipe from the sidelines but have no plan.
“We can stick to the plan with Rishi or go back to square one with Sir Kier Starmer.
“Lib Dems under Ed Davey are already a discredited force thanks to his role in the Post Office scandal, whilst a vote for Reform is a vote to let Labour in.
“The choice is already clear. The Conservatives have a plan. Labour and the other parties do not.”
Robertson: I am taking nothing for granted and that’s why I am already campaigning hard
Councillor Joe Robertson, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for IW East, who is also the Isle of Wight councillor for Bembridge, told News OnTheWight,
“I am under no illusion that the election in Isle of Wight East is on a knife edge.
“I am taking nothing for granted and that’s why I am already campaigning hard and focusing on schools, housing, jobs and community care.
“What is clear from the Daily Telegraph poll is that voting for Reform is a road to a Labour victory.”
Lowthion: Has never been more important to have enough Green MPs to hold a future Labour government to account
Councillor Vix Lowthion, the Green Party parliamentary candidate for IW East, who is also a Newport Community councillor, told News OnTheWight,
“Whilst it’s massively encouraging to see surveys like this which predict a Conservative voting collapse and a change of government, we must compose ourselves and keep a firm focus on the task at hand to bring about a change of government.
“This is a national survey of 14,000 people – about 0.02% of the UK population – and not a poll of Islanders. In addition, both the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties here still don’t have named Parliamentary candidates for either Isle of Wight seat – it’s rather presumptuous to assume who Islanders will vote for without knowing who is on the ballot paper to be our next MP.
“Crucially, if this survey is anywhere near accurate, it has never been more important to have enough Green MPs to hold a future Labour government to account. We must ensure that Keir Starmer commits to a Green New Deal, a publicly run NHS, stopping the sewage on our beaches and electoral reform so that people feel their votes matter again; all things a Starmer-led Labour Party have backtracked their commitments on. “
Garratt: What is certain is that the Conservative government is deeply unpopular
Councillor Andrew Garratt, Chair of Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats, who is also the Isle of Wight councillor for Parkhurst and Hunnyhill, said,
“Caution is necessary when making predictions from polls that may be months from an election. As The Telegraph notes, this is a forecast ‘if there was an election tomorrow or early this year, based on current public opinion’.
“Digging into the data shows projected Labour win on less than a third of the vote. About two-fifths of voters are projected to vote neither Labour nor Conservative. This makes the projection highly uncertain, especially with months of campaigning yet to come.
“What is certain is that the Conservative government is deeply unpopular. This is why the Liberal Democrats will be working hard to promote our plans for a fair deal for the Isle of Wight and for Britain. We will do so having gained two of the three council by-elections held in the last fourteen months showing that when real votes are cast, many Islanders are putting their trust in the Lib Dems.”
Morris: Reform would beat Labour every day of the week if the ConSocialists did the right thing
Sarah Morris, the Reform UK parliamentary candidate for IW East said,
“I do wonder about the demographic of those polled, as it bears no resemblance to the reaction that I get when out talking to voters on the street.
“Reform is gaining in the polls as people find out about us and realise we have the policies that will help them. Reform UK will get our country back to one that we can be proud of.
“The public know why the media are pushing the ‘vote Reform get Labour’, and won’t fall for it. You cannot keep rewarding failure by voting for the Tories just because you are scared of having Keir Starmer in charge. The Conservatives have had their chance and they’ve not delivered, and Labour in opposition have been dismal.
“We need to be brave and vote for what we actually want.
“If the Conservatives are that worried about handing Labour the keys to No.10, then they should return the favour of standing down in the best interests of our country. Reform would beat Labour every day of the week if the ConSocialists did the right thing.
“If you are worried about Starmergeddon actually happening, help spread the word about Reform. Together we can do this!
“Remember our meeting this evening, Tuesday 16th January, 7pm, The Simeon Arms, Ryde. See you there.”
Pickering: People are sick and tired of the same old same old
Ian Pickering, the Reform UK candidate for IW West, told News OnTheWight,
“As the Reform UK candidate for West Wight I have been talking to many people out and about, and my considered opinion is that the Labour Party is about as popular as the Conservatives are right now.
“People on this wonderful Island of ours want real change. They are sick and tired of the same old same old. The Conservatives have sat back and watched this country fall into an abyss of social and economic catastrophe. Uncontrolled illegal immigration, highest taxes for a generation, inflation at eye-wateringly high rates bringing average household spending power to its knees.
“I believe the Labour Party will not change a thing for the country. The two main parties are so closely aligned in their policies it is impossible to tell them apart, except Labour would have us back in the EU in a heartbeat and at even greater expense and loss of control to Brussels than before. Not to mention their commitment to allowing even more economic migrants in.
“The electorate of the Isle of Wight has an opportunity to elect a party that will change British politics for good and that party is Reform UK. I believe they will.”
Garnett: Tactical voting will play a huge part in ensuring progressive votes aren’t split
Charity Garnett from East Wight Primary told News OnTheWight,
“This poll has been compiled with data from about 22 people per constituency, and doesn’t contain detailed local knowledge about the new seat of East Wight. It predicts a very narrow victory, well within the margin of error, in a seat where two of the five main candidates have not been selected yet.
“We welcome any suggestion that the Conservatives will not win here, but we know, from hundreds of conversations, that tactical voting will play a huge part in ensuring progressive votes aren’t split and that the Tories don’t divide and rule, again.
“The East Wight Primary will give the three progressive candidates, Labour, Lib Dems and the Greens the chance to put their case about why they are the tactical choice, to hundreds of local people, re-energising progressive voters and traditional non-voters. Any progressive party who thinks they have a good chance of winning the seat, will have a good chance of winning the primary, which will in turn boost their chances of winning the seat.
“Working together to choose the tactical local choice for ourselves is the only way of ensuring we get a progressive MP. We can’t afford another five years without one, and there are no prizes for second place in first-past-the-post.”
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