The Big Idea
A New Start for Politics on the Isle of Wight
There is no getting away from the fact that as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic life and society paused for many and radically changed for others. As such, the opportunity arose to look at where we are and where we might be going in the future.
One of the key areas we can examine is our local politics and local government.
As we have saw in 2020, amazing things can be achieved when there is a unity of purpose and people working together for their communities. In local parishes and towns many individuals work tirelessly for their local areas. It is plain that things are achieved far more readily when that work is driven by what is good for the community rather than where things are hidebound by personal or political conflict. Whenever an election is called, many individuals doing good work in their own areas become Isle of Wight Councillors. Such a position gives them access to people, services and information that they can use for the benefit of their local area. However the unity of purpose we see in good Parish and Town Councils seems to dissipate when things go to that next step up the local government ladder. The Isle of Wight Council should be operate as a Council for the whole Isle of Wight with everyone working together in the common interest of the Island, its businesses and residents. However at County level partisan political interests are allowed to take over as the driving force.
With this in mind we have created a new movement to ensure that committed individuals can come forward and stick to the core aim of working together in the interests of their local communities as well as working together in the same way for the wider Island Community. In addition we want to change the way County Hall operates so that this core aim can be entrenched into the functioning of the system, ensuring true public involvement and engagement in how issues are considered and how decisions are made.
"I pledge to work for the people of the Isle of Wight, its businesses, environment and visitors and, if
elected to any public office, I undertake to devote my efforts to work positively and constructively together and, where appropriate, in a Group, with
others who have signed this Pledge, in order to further those interests over and above any other political views or allegiances”.
Working together for the Island
Too often on the Isle of Wight we see groups with the
same basic aims opposing one another rather than joining together to pursue a common cause. To overcome this, we will invite everyone who sees the benefit of working together for the Island to make a simple uniting pledge. This will provide a simple but important basis upon
which we can work together.
We need to have local control of our Island and not be
driven by the policies and targets of national political parties. Island politics is fractured; national parties perpetuate this by not working together. At the basic level we see this in their approach to elections. They would rather be seen to field a candidate in a ward, even if the effect of doing so is to split the vote and allow a candidate
whose beliefs are contrary to theirs to win.
We need a strong local group bringing as many of the right
people together as possible to represent their wards. Experience shows that this group needs to have a clear structure and organisation that enables those people to work together successfully at County level for the Island.
History and analysis shows it can be done. It needs to be done better than it was in the past and it needs to be done now more than ever.
Policies and a plan of action
A Council cannot work when members are just focussed on their own independent concerns and not unified on the big issues. What we need are not just good local representatives but also people who can work together effectively and productively for the overall good of the whole Island. As well as supporting their own wards Our Island candidates will offer that strength through clear and simple objectives and policies focussed on the whole Island.
Our Island will seek at all times to ensure the greatest possible involvement of the community in debate and the development of policy. A current frustration for many is that there is little or no effective or meaningful public political debate on contentious issues prior to formal decision-making.
How the Council works
We have seen too often in the past that the work of the Council can be undermined by pointless political fighting on Party lines. We need to get away from this. When a Council comes together it is usually on the basis of
the largest group forming the governing Administration and the remainder of members acting, whether together or apart, as opposition to that Administration. If Our Island does not form an Administration it will not simply oppose what the Administration does. Instead, in line with the Pledge, Our Island members will always act constructively to pursue the interests of Island residents and businesses. Nevertheless, Our Island members will always robustly
question and scrutinise any proposals or policies, wherever they might come from.
The approach will always be to secure what is best for the Island rather than following any particular political ideology. For many who are part of the current system this will be a fundamental change in their mindset, but too often we have seen how that old fashioned mindset leads us nowhere.
In addition to these aims, when we take control of the Council, we will make changes to the way the Council operates in order that it can become an effective body once more. Key to this will the Council becoming representative of and responsive to the views and needs of the island Community.
There will be public involvement and participation in meetings and greater sharing of information and ideas.
Everyone will be valued and everyone will have a value in the Council processes.
We will create a new way of doing things that will benefit the whole Island and not just the sectional interests of whoever may hold power at any time.