Island MP Accuses Government Of Treating Isle Of Wight As “Second Class” Over Ferry Levy

The Isle of Wight is set to be hit with higher ferry costs after the Government voted through a new emissions levy on maritime travel — prompting a furious response from Island MP Joe Robertson.

The new Emissions Trading Scheme will apply a levy to larger cross-Solent car ferries from 1 July, despite there being no grid capacity at Portsmouth or Southampton to support electric ferries.

The charge will apply to vessels over 5,000 gross tonnes, including Wightlink’s St Clare and Victoria of Wight, with industry leaders warning ticket prices could rise by up to 15 per cent.

While Scottish islands have been granted a full exemption from the levy until 2030 — and Northern Ireland a 50 per cent reduction — the Isle of Wight will be charged in full.

Speaking in Parliament, East Wight MP Joe Robertson accused the Government of knowingly penalising Island residents.

“The Government knows this will have an adverse impact on UK islands, because it has exempted travel to Scottish islands from this punitive levy,” he said.

“What it hasn’t done is extend that exemption to all UK islands, which means my constituents are now facing an additional cost just to get to and from home.”

He stressed that Islanders have no alternative to ferry travel, adding:

“There is no other way to travel to the Isle of Wight. There is no other way of getting goods to the Isle of Wight.”

Mr Robertson also criticised what he called a contradiction at the heart of Government policy.

“The Maritime Minister has set up meetings to explore how to improve travel to the Isle of Wight, including cost,” he said.

“Yet at the same time, the Government is putting extra cost onto travel to the Island — starting from a position where our ferries are already more expensive than those serving Scottish islands and receive no public subsidy.”

He insisted he was not asking for special treatment, saying:

“I am simply asking for the same exemption the Government is already giving to dozens of other islands.”

Mr Robertson concluded by warning that Islanders were being unfairly targeted in the name of climate policy.

“Global warming will not be solved by making it more expensive to travel to the Isle of Wight,” he said. “I urge the Government to think again.”

The row comes as 40 Island businesses, including the Isle of Wight Chamber, wrote to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband warning the levy risks serious damage to the Island’s economy.

The letter claims Islanders are being treated as “second class citizens” and says the policy is being rushed through without the infrastructure needed to support greener ferries.

Despite Conservative MPs voting against the levy, the Government’s majority ensured it passed and will come into force this summer.