Have your say on a Combined Mayor with Hampshire
The Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet has agreed to accept an invitation to join the Government’s “priority” scheme for a new Mayor shared with Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton. I am sceptical that a Mayor shared with the mainland will be a good thing for the Island. For me, this is not party-political scepticism - the new Mayor is likely to be a Conservative in perpetuity as we will be dominated by a Hampshire electorate (93% mainland, 7% Island).
My top 3 concerns are:
- The Mayor will take powers away from our own Council. For example, responsibility for strategic planning, as outlined in the government papers. The target for the number of houses we build on the Island and where we build them could be negotiated by the Mayor largely representing Hampshire, rather than being negotiated by our own Council. We know that the Government wants to increase our Island housing numbers from around 350 a year (that we currently build) to over 1,000 a year because Angela Rayner wrote to our Council Leader telling him as much.
- The Mayor can put a charge (or precept) on our local council tax. Your Council Tax will very likely go up.
- Hampshire does not understand us any better than Whitehall. Mayors are better suited to cities and areas with a shared sense of identity. I do not see how we share community ties or regeneration opportunities with Basingstoke, Eastleigh, Aldershot or Winchester. I would much prefer to be negotiating for our own Isle of Wight Mayor reflecting our uniqueness as an Island with our own special funding deal.
The Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet have also asked the Government to cancel Isle of Wight Council elections due on 1st May in order to get the mayoral deal with Hampshire done first. I think this is wrong.
I am launching my “have your say” survey in the East Wight to hear your views and take them to the Government and Council. I am also supporting the online petition calling on the Government and Council not to cancel Isle of Wight Council elections on 1st May.
