Jonathan Bacon Sets Out Position As He Begins Council Leadership

“My priority as leader is to ensure this council functions properly and survives,” the new leader of the Isle of Wight Council has declared.

In an interview after last night’s high stakes full council meeting, Cllr Jonathan Bacon said he is here to work with all 38 other councillors, adding: “We’re not about political colours here”.

The representative for Brading and St Helens was elected into the executive role with the backing of 28 councillors, including all 19 Reform UK members, the Island First Network and the All for Islanders group.

Two independents, the Liberal Democrats, Greens and a Labour councillor opted instead for his rival, Cllr Andrew Garratt of Parkhurst and Hunnyhill.

Addressing the council chamber after the vote, Cllr Bacon said: “The view I take is we are 39 and we represent 100 per cent of the Island. That is important, very important as we have some extremely big challenges ahead.

“Devolution has been mentioned and that is probably the biggest thing…one of the two biggest things on the horizon, devolution and the perilous financial state we’re in.

“Of course, on top of that, in the last year this council has been labelled dysfunctional.

“I’m extremely conscious of that in taking on this role and I take this role on the basis that we need to promote and foster collaboration and working together across the whole chamber, across the whole 39, to deal with the issues we face.”

In what appeared to be a swipe at Conservative Ed Blake’s attack on Reform UK councillors for backing Cllr Bacon, the new leader said County Hall needs to avoid the ‘sort of factional behaviour, conflict that I’m afraid we’ve already had exhibited this evening’.

“It does us no credit, it does the people who act in that way no credit, it does the council no credit – it’s one of those things that was highlighted and a key feature behind that Penn Report that labelled us dysfunctional,” he said.

A fiery Cllr Blake previously said: “I’m sat here rather perplexed. Here we have a party sat in front of us (Reform UK) who announced that they wanted to change the Island.

“Cllr Nigh – his leaflet when he first got elected said the independents have been an absolute shambles, we need to get rid of them. I’m absolutely perplexed further that they’ve chosen Cllr Bacon, someone who’s been in that role before and as Cllr Karl Love has pointed out, ran away from that.

“This is just bonkers, absolutely nuts. Are you chickens, what are you scared of?”

In response, Reform UK’s Cllr Nigh said he was not referring to independents but to the Tories.

Asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) what is to be done about the council’s imperilled finances, Cllr Bacon said he needs to sit down and talk to all new councillors and officers involved.

The leader said a corporate plan and a strategy will be developed to try to deal with the current ‘situation we’re in’.

As to how he will work with Reform UK, Cllr Bacon said he is here to work with all 38 other councillors.

“We’re about 39 councillors working together to the benefit of every resident on the Isle of Wight,” the councillor added.

The LDRS attempted to ask him about his resignation as leader in January 2017, when he cited continued government austerity, but was not given an on the record response.

On whether he still thinks primary school closures are necessary, Cllr Bacon said this is a decision for the new children’s services, education and skills committee to address.