For the last hour, following the news that Steve Beynon has been offered the role of Chief Executive of the IW Council, our phone has been ringing off the hook and the majority of views shared with us have been that of stunned amazement.
We’ve also learned that the decision to offer the role to Stevie was down to the members of the appointment committee – Cllr Muriel Miller, Cllr George Brown, Cllr Barry Abraham and Cllr Brian Mosdell.
Beynon and School closures
If you live on the Island, you’ll have had to have been sitting in a dark cellar for the last six months to not know who Steve Beynon is.
He’s the current Director of Children’s Services and man responsible for overseeing the proposed radical changes to the Island Schools, that have caused so much ill-feeling on the Wight.
The reaction that we’ve had from most people who we’ve been in-touch with us is utter amazement that the council could have such a low regard for the parents of the Island, many of whom are spitting blood over what they see as the decimation of the Island schools.
Their view is that by putting Beynon forward to head up the Council, they are rubbing their faces in the school closures, showing nothing but contempt for them.
Beynon: A good executer
A couple of people who we’ve spoken to feel that Steve Beynon is good choice and believe that he will be a very competent at executing the instructions that he’s given.
We interviewed him around the time of the schools debate and he is undoubtedly bright. We also found that he has a peculiar skill of making you forget the questions that you were going to be asking him while providing bamboozling answers. A pretty useful talent.
Apologies for the fuzzy picture – we don’t have many of Stevie Boy to date, but we’re sure there’ll be plenty of opportunity to build up our library in the near future.
