The leader of the Isle of Wight Council has praised the Island’s two MPs for continuing to “knock the door” of government over fair funding.
Phil Jordan, an independent Alliance councillor, told the policy, finance and resources committee (PFRC) last Thursday (12th March 2026) that the Conservative and Labour parliamentarians work in a “positive way” for County Hall.
The Ryde North West representative previously said government recognising the Isle of Wight as an island with increased provision costs was key to addressing the council’s financial problems, something he had been working on and “beating my head against the wall”.
Speaking in the chamber, he said the authority, whether it was led by himself or someone else, will continue to lobby Whitehall to get evidenced fair funding for delivering services government want it to provide.
Councillor Jordan remarked,
“There are meetings coming up in the next couple of weeks. It looks like we’re going to go back to ground zero with government and ask them how do you want the numbers and figures.
“What is it you want from us that you haven’t already had that demonstrates you’re not funding us in the correct way? That will continue long after I’m gone.
“We have two MPs that work hard at this. Both, Joe and Richard, continue to knock the door of government.”
The council leader said he was “very pleased” that Joe Robertson, Conservative MP for Isle of Wight East, asks “very awkward, difficult” questions and added that Isle of Wight West Labour MP Richard Quigley manages to “open doors slightly easier than Joe”.
In a letter to Councillor Jordan last month, government minister Alison McGovern MP said her administration was “investing in local government”.
It stated,
“Overall, the government will provide over £5.6 billion of new grant funding towards local government services over the next three years. Our local government finance reforms get money to where it is needed, but the government recognises that some councils remain in a challenging financial position as they continue to deal with the legacy of the previous system.
“We will continue to have a framework in place to support those in the most difficult positions. Any council that has concerns about its ability to set or maintain a balanced budget should approach the department in the first instance where we will treat all discussions in confidence.”
Councillor Karl Love, independent councillor for East Cowes, told PFRC,
“I think knocking on government’s door’s been going on a long time. I remember Dave Stewart banging on doors long long before and we’re getting nowhere.
“Conservatives have done it, you’ve done it, Lora did it. This government is just completely and utterly blind. Everybody’s blind.”
He said that after losing money through austerity, it was “absolutely fair, proper and right” that the council be given more funding from Whitehall.
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
