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 third to respond to our invitation to take part in this series was Conservative group leader Dave Stewart. Ed
As we come towards the end of the current term of the Isle of Wight Council and look towards the local elections in May 2017 – the key message from Conservative Councillors is that it will soon be time for change and we will seek a mandate from the electorate for a new Conservative-led council with a fresh approach to building our Island’s future.
Over the last three years we have seen the ‘framework for change,’ which was the current Independent Administration’s manifesto and adopted by them as their strategy for running the council, falter and fall away month by month and year by year. So it will be no surprise that in due course we will remind the electorate just what was promised and has not been delivered.
A different approach for the future
However we will also be presenting to the electorate a different approach for the future which will address issues and concerns important to the community and will show that the Isle of Wight Council can operate efficiently and effectively enabling it to meet community needs and is ‘open for business’ in terms of future economic development.
Our strategy will be to listen and manage IWC business responsibly and in a timely manner whilst representing the Islands needs and concerns to Government more effectively. We will be happy to work cross party with any group who share these priorities and now have a number of other councillors working cross party with us. However, having made this known on a number of occasions to the Independent Administration, it has not been accepted by them.
Holding the Independent Administration to account
Meanwhile in the remaining 11 months of the current council we will focus on seeking to ensure the financial stability of the Island and holding the Independent Administration to account for decisions they make and have made as we present policies going forward which we believe to be in the best interests of the Island.
The key focus at present must be to deliver a balanced budget, as well as engage with the Secretary of State and others to secure our financial sustainability now and in the future.
Our financial stability having been further undermined by the systematic raiding of reserves which some would argue has gone beyond what was necessary or prudent and has left us in a very vulnerable position.
So the key question at present is:
“What degree of incompetence and mismanagement can be tolerated before members have ‘no confidence’ in the current leadership of the council and need to act in the best interests of the Island – when is it time for change?”
Dave Stewart – Conservative Group Leader
