Government ‘Concerned’ After Damning Report Brands Isle of Wight Council ‘Dysfunctional’

A new independent report has described the Isle of Wight Council as “dysfunctional”, prompting government concern and a warning that Whitehall could intervene if behaviour at County Hall doesn’t improve.

The ‘Governance at the Isle of Wight Council’ report, written by consultant Richard Penn, found a culture of disrespect and poor conduct among some councillors, with rules and procedures “all too often ignored or forgotten.”

Mr Penn – a former local government chief executive and standards commissioner – said he witnessed council meetings where behaviour from some members appeared to breach the Councillors’ Code of Conduct, with “no attempt” from others to challenge it.

He wrote:

“The council has clear policies built around one word – ‘respect’ – but these are rarely used to deal with inappropriate behaviour.

"The result is a heated, hostile atmosphere that undermines effective decision-making.”

In a rare move, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also written to County Hall, warning it is “closely monitoring” councillor behaviour and could take further action if standards don’t improve.

In response, group leaders Phil Jordan (Alliance), Steve Blake (Conservative) and Andrew Garratt (Liberal Democrat) issued a joint statement acknowledging deep-rooted problems and calling for a complete “reset” of the council.

They said:

“The report highlights a culture of disrespect, hostility and deflection among a small but vocal number of councillors.

"This has eroded public confidence and distracted from the vital work of running services for residents.”

The statement pledged cross-party support to fix the council’s culture, including backing a key recommendation to create a new standards committee.

“It is abundantly clear there are problems,” the leaders said.

“If we fail to act, there is a real risk of direct government intervention – or even the loss of Island-based democracy itself.”

Mr Penn’s findings form part of ongoing work to improve governance and rebuild trust at County Hall.