Leading Ferry Campaigner Confronts Minister On Cowes Seafront

An Isle of Wight ferry campaigner confronted a government Minister today on an Isle of Wight seafront, urging him to take ferry users “seriously”.

Bronwyn Hamilton Brown of the Wightlink Users group took Mike Kane MP, the Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security, to task in Cowes.

Mr Kane arrived on the Island today to chair the Isle of Wight Ferries Roundtable – a forum to ‘facilitate discussion on the perceived issues affecting people’s ability to rely upon vital Isle of Wight ferry services’, according to an official briefing.

Other attendees include the Island’s two MPs, Red Funnel CEO Fran Collins, CEO of Wightlink Katy Taylor, council leader Phil Jordan and the managing director of Hovertravel, Neil Chapman.

Ms Hamilton Brown told the Minister:

“We don’t seem to be able to get through. We had an email back from you, from the Department of Transport, and all you said was they were ‘perceived issues’ – these aren’t perceived issues, they really are things that affect us."

Mr Kane cut in:

“That’s why I’m here today…to listen to people.”

“Please can you take us seriously. We’re the User Group who’ve got 10,500 people, and that’s just Wightlink, we’re now expanding to Red Funnel,” Ms Brown continued.

The Minister said:

“I’ve got Joe (Robertson) and Richard (Quigley).”

“Yes, and you’ve got Phil (Jordan) and you’ve got councillors, I know, but you haven’t got us – we’re the people that it really affects,” she added.

Before shaking hands with Ms Hamilton Brown and leaving for the roundtable, Mr Kane said:

“As Minister, I’ve come down to listen to concerns and see how government can help.”

Another protester, Mark Rogers, told the press:

“The Island is being destroyed economically and socially by the ferry services. They’re incredibly expensive, very unreliable and increasingly poor in the service they’re providing.

“Ultimately, I’d want them to regulate it (the ferries market), both in terms of public service obligation and capping fares.”