Tony Marvin, the Conservative Isle of Wight council candidate for Ventnor East in the 2013 elections recently distributed his election flyer to Ventnor residences. It ends, “With the councillor elected for Ventnor East in 2009 having moved to Niton, many residents feel we are currently without a proper local representative.”
The leaflet also encourages residents to get in touch with Tony Marvin before the elections, and he claims he will, “speak to the council directly on your behalf”.
The elected county councillor’s wife, Wendy Welsford has sent on The Wight the letter below in response to the claims made in the flyer. It was published in the South Wight Chronicle yesterday – Ed.
My husband, Chris Welsford, is the Independent County Councillor for Ventnor East.
Anyone who has had occasion to seek his help will know that he works hard as a County Councillor and has resolutely represented the interests of Ventnor at County Hall since his election in June 2009.
As Mayor of Ventnor he was one of those who helped change Ventnor Town Council into the modern council that it is today; an effective body that is able to help Ventnor in its regeneration and make a real difference to the lives of Ventnorians.
Comments are deeply hurtful
The derogatory comments made by Mr Marvin in his recent electioneering leaflet to residents are deeply hurtful to me.
As the wife of your representative at County Hall, I know only too well the long hours that Chris dedicates to serving his community.
As a non-party political opposition councillor, Chris is constantly challenging the policies of the ruling Conservative group that Mr Marvin would like to represent.
Getting results for the town
For example, without his intervention the seaweed situation in the haven would not have been resolved as it was he who insisted on the legal opinion being provided that forced the Isle of Wight Council to take full responsibility and fund the solution.
This is not to mention the many Planning and Highways issues he deals with for residents and on behalf of the town. To suggest that residents are not represented because their councillor is not a member of the ruling group is ludicrous.
Living in Niton irrelevant
Furthermore, Mr Marvin’s suggestion that our moving to live in Niton has left residents without representation is simply not true.
Quite aside from the fact that Mr Marvin himself, does not live in the ward he seeks to represent, Niton is hardly the mainland. We owned our house in Niton for many years, Chris having moved there aged 18 after his father died.
Family involved in Ventnor Community
It is our family home but this does not mean we are not part of the Ventnor community.
I am heavily involved in Ventnor’s Country Market, selling my ‘Niton’ free range eggs and other produce and Chris is a long-standing member of the Ventnor Coastguard Rescue Team.
Chris felt we should ignore Mr Marvin and his political manipulation of our situation, but I could not stand by and watch my husband’s good work go undefended.
Wendy Welsford
