The new leader of the Isle of Wight Council will be elected at a crucial meeting next week.
On Wednesday, 27th May 2026, full council is due to vote on who takes over from Phil Jordan, who led the local authority from September 2023 until being ousted from his Ryde North West seat by Reform UK in the local elections earlier this month.
Role of the leader
The responsibilities of the leader include ensuring effective decision making, being the key contact for outside organisations, and being the representative voice of the council in, for example, its relations with central government.
Other key decisions
Other key decisions tabled for the forum include electing a deputy leader and council chair and deciding on a review of County Hall’s constitution, including the creation of a standards committee.
Standards committee on the agenda
Introducing a standards committee was one recommendation from the Penn Report, a damning independent review which previously described the council as ‘dysfunctional’.
Role of the chair
The chair’s roles include representing the authority as its civic head on ceremonial occasions, presiding over meetings of full council and promoting public involvement in the council’s activities.
Independent Binstead and Fishbourne councillor Ian Dore currently holds the position.
Reform UK
Reform UK is now the biggest voting bloc in the chamber with 19 councillors. The party’s group leader has been confirmed as newly elected Central Rural councillor James Whelan, who recently said he was looking forward to being in opposition.
Councillor Whelan has yet to respond to a request for comment regarding his new position.
There are also 11 independent councillors, four Liberal Democrats, two Conservatives, two Greens and one Labour member.
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
