Cllr Steve Hastings shares this latest news on behalf of the Island Conservatives, in his own words. Ed
Following the establishment of the 18-strong Alliance Group at County Hall – drawing together independent and Green councillors to form an administration to lead the Council – the new Conservative Group Leader has pledged to work constructively with all councillors to serve the needs of the Island.
Cllr Steve Hastings – who was chosen after the 6th May elections to lead the 18-strong Conservative Group – has written to the new Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox, congratulating her on her election, and setting out how he and his fellow group members will engage with the new administration.
Shadow cabinet members
In response to Cllr Peacey-Wilcox’s announcement of a Cabinet of nine members (including herself), Cllr Hastings confirmed that he will be appointing Conservative councillors to act as shadow cabinet members, aligned with the portfolios of her executive members.
Following consultation with group colleagues, a shadow cabinet team will be announced in the near future.
Hastings: Collaboratively engage with Cabinet Members and officers
In the meantime, Cllr Hastings has explained how he sees the role of shadow cabinet members working. He said,
“It is common practice in many local authorities that the main opposition group forms a shadow team to scrutinise and challenge those in power.
“Whilst the appointment of my team will broadly align with this model, I will place a particular emphasis on ensuring that we collaboratively engage with Cabinet Members and officers in relation to the policy direction of the Isle of Wight council.
“Our approach will be simple: we will look at each issue from a constructive perspective. There will be a presumption in favour of supporting the intended policy approach, by adding ideas and suggestions to hopefully enhance what the new administration is hoping to achieve. We will work constructively alongside the Cabinet; not oppose them for the sake of it.”
Hastings: Will hold the administration’s policies to account
Cllr Hastings went on to say,
“I welcome the comments from Cllr Bacon the other day in which he said that the Conservatives would be welcome to join the journey of the new Alliance Group. We will indeed play our part in contributing to what the new team is seeking to do for the Island.
“At the same, we will examine the new administration’s policies, and hold them to account through the Scrutiny Committee which I chair. To be clear, I do not see the role of this committee to block decisions of the Cabinet, but to contribute to and inform their deliberations. The call-in provisions will be used sparingly, when there are issues of public interest which remain unresolved. Wherever possible, any such issues will be clarified and resolved ahead of Cabinet decisions.
“In addition, our 18 members are keen to ensure that the needs and interests of their individual wards are taken into account in decision-making at County Hall. Many of our Conservative Group members are already working closely with neighbouring councillors from across the political spectrum, including at town / parish levels. We will continue to do so.
“I also recognise that the new administration will – in a number of policy areas – seek to take the Council in a different direction to the previous Conservative Team. That is, of course, their prerogative – and I would be the first to acknowledge that there are some issues which might benefit from the fresh perspective which the Alliance Group will bring. My shadow team will include a mix of re-elected and new councillors to reflect the post-election political landscape; bringing fresh input to complement the experiences of recent years.
“Finally, I wish to mention the Climate and Environment Strategy, which I was leading on (as a Cabinet Member) until the election. Following a cross-party resolution in July 2019, a tremendous amount of work has been undertaken by members and officers in preparing this plan. I look forward to supporting the new administration in bringing forward this critically important strategy, and ensuring its implementation over the coming years, to ensure that the Isle of Wight Council leads the way in protecting and enhancing our natural environment.”
