Isle of Wight Council leader Phil Jordan has written to Minister Jim McMahon and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, calling for a permanent change to the way government funding is calculated for the Island.
He says the current approach fails to recognise the extra costs of delivering services on an island with no fixed link to the Mainland.
Jordan: It is time for Government to fund us in a fair way
Councillor Jordan told OnTheWight,
“We have to keep telling Government they have got the funding formula wrong for the Isle of Wight. I have made the case for the discrepancies we experience in our funding gap and have asked that Government uplift our funding by 30% simply to keep pace with the costs that similar Mainland authorities manage.
“We have made the case for years now. It has been recognised by Government but not acknowledged to the disparity levels we endure. We have managed the finances of council under extreme pressures and every year set a legal budget.
“It is time for Government to take note of our position and predicament as an Island, with higher costs to the Mainland, and fund us in a fair way.”
Higher costs per kilometre
In his letter, Councillor Jordan points out that most funding formulas are based on units such as households, pupils or service users.
He argues this overlooks the cost per kilometre of delivering services such as highways, waste collection, emergency response and social care transport.
Maintaining and servicing rural roads on the Island can cost 25–35% more per kilometre than on the Mainland because of ferry costs for specialist vehicles, contractors and equipment.
Waste disposal and recycling involve additional shipping charges, sometimes with multiple ferry crossings before materials reach processing facilities.
Social care home visits in rural and coastal areas take more time and fuel, with no neighbouring authorities to share resources.
Isolation brings extra challenges
Councillor Jordan highlights that, unlike rural councils on the Mainland, the Isle of Wight cannot share specialist teams, emergency cover, or equipment with neighbouring councils in times of pressure.
In severe weather, civil emergencies, or infrastructure failures, extra capacity has to come from the Mainland, adding both ferry costs and delays.
An emergency highway team brought over from the Mainland can face return ferry charges of several hundred pounds, plus idle time in transit.
Health and social care agencies often pay higher wages to attract Mainland-based professionals, as daily commuting is impractical.
Call for a permanent “Island Uplift”
Councillor Jordan says the Fair Funding Review should measure “need” not only in population terms but also in the real operational costs of meeting that need.
He is calling for a permanent uplift to the Island’s baseline funding to reflect additional infrastructure costs, ferry charges, lack of shared resources, and higher recruitment costs. He writes,
“This is not a request for special treatment, but rather for accurate recognition of the Island’s permanent structural disadvantage.”
Councillor Jordan has urged the Minister to create a formal “Island Uplift” in the Fair Funding Review and has offered to present detailed cost comparisons and case studies from service areas.
Councillor Jordan added,
“Both of our MPs have written in support of this letter.”
Read the letter in full below.
Article edit
2.20pm 25th Mar 2026 – Letter embedded at bottom of article
