With the Isle of Wight 2021 council elections taking place next week (Thursday 6th May) the Isle of Wight Green Party have reported damage to and theft of garden signs, as well as a targeted written warning posted anonymously through the door of an IW council candidate.
The incidents of damage have been reported to police, with statements taken and crime numbers given, in a number of wards.
Sign pulled down
Last week a ‘Vote Green’ sign on Hyde Road in Shanklin was broken off the post it was attached to and dumped in a wheelie bin.
This was replaced with a taller replacement on Saturday, but within a couple of hours this was also broken off, with eyewitnesses reporting seeing a person ‘limping away’ after the event.
Another sign, on the Godshill Road, has also been removed.
Letter sent to candidate
The Isle of Wight Green Party say the most concerning for them has been an anonymous note that was posted through the door of a candidate, which requested that they remove their Vote Green posters because:
“We voted overwhelimingling [sic] in the last election for a conservative government and to get Brexit Done and we don’t want to be rude but your politics are not really welcome here”
Lowthion: Alarming and upsetting
Chair of the local party, Vix Lowthion, said,
“It is alarming and upsetting that Islanders who are partaking in the democratic process and to do the very best for the community in which they live are being subject to such hate mail and attacks.
“Our Green Party candidates are a very close knit group, and we have rallied around to support this valued member of the Green Team. We thank the Police for their swift response.”
Lowthion: We will not be intimidated by destructive actions
Ms Lowthion went on to say,
“We will not be intimidated by destructive actions such as this, because we know that the vast majority of Islanders support our democratic right to stand in an election, stick up posters and put forward a positive future for the people of the Isle of Wight.
“The response that our Green Party candidates are getting on the streets, lanes and on the doorsteps is overwhelmingly positive. The writer of this note and the people who have pulled down our signs have only confirmed our resolve to ensure that more Green councillors are elected next week.”
If you would like to display a sign or a poster, please contact the local party via [email protected]
