With the Isle of Wight council elections less than a year away, OnTheWight asked leaders of all the political groups within the council for their “view on how things have been since the last election and your hopes for the next 11 months”.
The fourth to respond to our invitation to take part in this series was Liberal Democrat Reg Barry. Ed
It’s been a difficult, but challenging year for me as Isle of Wight Liberal Democrat Councillor.
It was a bad election for the Liberals and left us with just myself being elected. For a party with a strong history on the Island it was disappointing. This meant I had to work to keep my party promises, but knowing I also had to work with other groups in the council to get them done.
Considering what the current council took over, I had an open view when looking back on the council this year.
Year ahead – most difficult in the Island’s history
The Independents have done a fairly good job. The year ahead will be the most difficult in the Island’s history and to set a legal budget next year without decimating all the non statutory services will be impossible.
We have to be able to build the Island and the cuts will make it very hard to do that. The focus on the financial problems of the council has made it very hard to deal with other issues and the Island council has become stagnant.
Hopes for the coming year
For the future of the rest of this year it will probably be the same focus and a lot of next council elections will be dealing with this aftermath of the cuts. My hopes for the next several months are in two different areas.
First for the Island and the government to hopefully come to a new deal that won’t see such destructive cuts to the non-statutory services. But also, I hope the Isle of Wight Liberal Democrats will also be able to rebuild their support.
A Liberal centre to the council
The council needs a Liberal centre to it, with Island Liberal values as a responsible, but alternative to the Conservatives.
I believe the great work Robert Packham and Nicholas Belfitt have done so far to rebuild the party and put the main local issues at the centre of the Liberal Democrat has been very good.
Their active role in recruiting, their campaign on fracking and other issues will hopefully mean next year we will have a few more councillors. The Island needs an non-radical economic alternative that will help Island grow its business and support locals.
I hope many previous voters will see this change back to strong local Liberal party.
Cllr Reg Barry, Liberal Democrat councillor for Seaview and Nettlestone
Image: © Isle of Wight Council
