The Executive Council of the Island’s Federation of Women’s Institutes (WI) has voted to give its full support for a bid to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) seeking an investigation into cross-Solent transport issues.
The Island’s MP Andrew Turner has been working on the bid for a number of months and a final draft of the document was made available to the WI to discuss at their meeting yesterday (Wednesday). Mr Turner plans to launch a campaign to win Island-wide support for the submission next Friday (21st September) when organisations and individuals who would like the OFT to investigate the issues will be able to indicate their support either on line or by contacting his office in Newport.
Mr Turner welcomed the support of the WI as an important first step in what he hopes will be a major campaign which will cross political boundaries. He said:
"It is clear that the more support this submission attracts the greater the likelihood of us obtaining the result we are looking for. The Women’s Institute has a history of campaigning on issues that are important to local communities and no-one can doubt the importance of this issue to the Island, it affects every one of us who live here and many of our friends, families and business colleagues on the mainland. I look forward to building on that support over the coming weeks"
Christine Hounslow the Vice Chairman of the IW Federation of Women’s Institutes said
"We are pleased to support the Island’s MP in his attempts to get this matter investigated properly. We were very impressed with his submission to the OFT. Now that both the main ferry companies are owned by major financial institutions the fear is that they have more regard for the returns for their shareholders than for those of us who depend on the ferries. We need an investigation to ensure that all our interests are properly safeguarded.

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Contact : Andrew Turner’s office 01983 530808

Christine Hounslow – Vice Chairman of the IW Federation of WIs 01983 740018