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Michael Lilley, Isle of Wight Liberal Democrat councillor for Ryde Appley and Elmfield, shares this statement he has circulated to all councillors. Ed
My personal position on Devolution has always been based around my view that the Isle of Wight needs to preserve its identity and uniqueness in UK as the largest inhabited Island in UK, protected by legislation and some form of Island Act.
I have communicated this annually since I was first elected in 2017. This I had in common with the late IW Veteran Councillors Harry Rees and Shirley Smart. I put annually a motion to this effect every year and always was unsuccessful until November 2023, Councillor Nick Stuart (Lib Dem group) and I successfully got a unanimous vote through full council.
Island protection must be enshrined in legislation
I will be reminding my councillor colleagues about the Council’s already commitment to Island legislation at Corporate Scrutiny, Full Council and at Cabinet.
I am of the view that unless the Isle of Wight finally gets enshrined in legislation it will always be vulnerable to exactly what is happening now regarding devolution.
Voting to remain a unitary authority in its own right
The Lib Dem Group on Isle of Wight Council (Councillors Stuart, Andrew Garrett, Sarah Redrup, and myself) will be pushing and voting for Isle of Wight to remain a unitary authority in its own right and not consider in any way merging with mainland authorities as this is totally impractical and would simply destroy Isle of Wight’s Island identity.
I also personally view no other authority (district and unitary authorities on mainland and linked to Solent) would want to merge with the Island as our costs are so much higher and this would simply mean higher council tax for their area as well as ours.
We will also see no need for council elections to be postponed and will vote accordingly.
Government has put a gun to authorities’ heads
We do, however, pragmatically view that as the Government has put a gun to authorities’ heads with such a large majority in Parliament regarding strategic regional Mayoral authorities, and that it is best for the Island to go with an Isle of Wight, Hampshire, Southampton, and Portsmouth bid under the priority programme; on condition that “ferries” are clearly written alongside trains and buses in description of essential public transport strategies.
I believe that other authorities have already agreed to this. As the Lib Dem group on the Island we are in regular contact with all Solent/Hampshire area Lib Dem leaders particularly in Portsmouth.
Consensus from reisdents
I recently had consultation with my residents (last week) at my monthly ward meeting on 2nd January, which I do on all major issues and the consensus was:
- Vote provisionally for Isle of Wight to be at the negotiating table with Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth as part of the priority programme for a Mayor styled regional strategic authority on condition there was a post of Deputy Mayor for Isle of Wight to make sure Isle if Wight as the smallest by population partner had its identity and needs protected. A full and final proposal to be voted on by IWC Full council in consultation with residents and not decided by just Cabinet.
- Any agreement has to include “ferries” as essential stated public transport along with buses and trains in any regional transport strategy and there would be a need for the Government to fully acknowledge this in any future legislation. Residents felt that London’s Mayor had shown an example of this through a pier to pier strategy as part of London Transport (see attached).
- Isle of Wight Council remains a unitary authority in its own right as an Island. The special and exceptional circumstances of the Isle of Wight be recognised by the Government in any future legislation.
- There is no postponement to local IWC elections on the Isle of Wight as there is no need due to our circumstances as an established unitary authority. My residents were adamant on this point as they felt they wanted the opportunity in May 2025 to vote a tranche of new councillors and administration. They all supported the change from a Cabinet to Committee system as already agreed by Full Council and as their elected representative I had listened to them previously and voted for this.
Engaged residents
You have to put this into a ward context where the majority of residents in Ryde Appley and Elmfield have campaigned tirelessly to save the last remaining Ryde historic farmland including protected species sites from development since 2015 (Westridge Farm) and now awaiting to go to the Court of Appeal. Residents are now exploring Judicial Review in their continuing fight to save Oakfield CofE Primary School.
They feel let down by the current and previous Cabinets who they believe (I personally don’t disagree with them) have not listened to them and eager for elections in May and see new councillors engaging with them through the committee system in full operation. They want more democracy not less.
I hope the above explains my position.
