Date: 18th October 2005
Released by: ANDREW TURNER

Island MP Andrew Turner has denounced as ‘secret’ and ‘undemocratic’ decisions taken about the future of the Isle of Wight by ‘Island Futures’, the local strategic partnership (LSP), from which the local press was deliberately excluded and details of meetings not published.

The LSP, Mr Turner said, was ‘taking decisions, which may have a major impact on the future of the Island’ in secret, including determination of targets for a major submission for Government funding which was considered on Friday afternoon, 14th October.

Mr Turner added :

“The membership of the ‘Island Futures’ executive and its officer steering group are, to most people, a mystery. However, until 27th June it included no members of the Council as elected in May, but three members of the old council [Ex-councillors Mrs Smart, Mrs Butchers, Mrs Wareham and . Two of them remained so-called ‘theme champions’, despite their policies being rejected by Islanders in the Council elections in May, even beyond the AGM, and Jill Wareham remains the ‘theme champion’ for education, despite her period of responsibility for the Island’s schools being one of the most disastrous on record. Yet this body claimed the right to sit in private – they actually voted against the press being invited to attend – and to make decisions for the future of the Island.”

Of the submission for Government funding, Mr Turner said in a letter (copy attached) to Cllr Andy Sutton, who took over the chairmanship of Island Futures in June: “Because none of this has been discussed in public, a number of the so-called ‘theme champions’ were committee chairmen in the last discredited administration, and the whole structure is profoundly undemocratic, I urge you to consult Islanders on this submission before it is finalised with the ODPM.

“It is important that Islanders support these targets, otherwise they will not be met. It is no good officers of various public bodies just talking to each other, as has happened with the development of these targets over the summer. They may be completely out of touch with the public. That is why I am asking for a full public consultation to take place before these plans are finally agreed with the Government.”

END

Contact: Andrew Turner 01983 530808

Note: ‘Island Futures’, the IW’s local strategic partnership, was set up by the former administration of the IW Council to conform with legislation introduced by the Labour Government during its first term of office.

Follows: Text of letter from Andrew Turner MP to Cllr Andy Sutton, Leader of the IW Council and chairman of the local strategic partnership:

Island 2020 Vision and Local Strategic Partnership

I was appalled to find out the extent to which decisions, which may have a major impact on the future of the Island, have been taken in secret by the Local Strategic Partnership.

It is greatly to your credit that you have decided to publish the minutes and agenda of these meetings and I understand that in future meeting should take place in public.

The LSP was, of course, set up by your predecessors at the Isle of Wight Council, and today you are considering the final version of a major submission for Government funding. Because none of this has been discussed in public, a number of the so-called ‘theme champions’ were committee chairmen in the last discredited administration, and the whole structure is profoundly undemocratic, I urge you to consult Islanders on this submission before it is finalised with the ODPM.

My particular concerns are:

(a) the omission of any reference to the environment, which is perhaps the greatest asset the Island has in attracting both visitors and high value investors;

(b) that the objectives omit any reference to the prevention of family breakdown. It is accepted, even by Government ministers, that family breakdown is a key cause of ill-health, truancy, crime and low educational achievement, and sadly more and more children are being brought up without the support of their two parents. I hope that the Partnership will consider including this as one of their highest level targets.