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Who Will Be New Isle Of Wight Council Leader? Crunch Meeting Looms

The new leader of the Isle of Wight Council is set to be decided at a crunch meeting tonight (Wednesday).

The seat has been left vacant following Dave Stewart's ousting as leader earlier this month (May).

He lost out in his Chale, Niton and Shorwell ward to the Green Party's Claire Critchison.

No party received enough seats to gain the majority in last month's election, meaning the Conservatives lost their grip on County Hall.

Since then, the council has been left in a state of 'No Overall Control'.

Although 20 seats are needed to form a majority, the Tories do still have the largest number of votes going into tonight's meeting, with 18 seats.

The party needs two more to take control of the 39-seat council.

The other seats went to the Independents (13), to the Greens (2), Island Independent Network (2), Labour (1), Our Island (1), Lib Dem (1) and the Vectis Party (1).

Who won in our ward? See below...

However, the meeting could end with a non-Conservative councillor taking the leader role.

If the other groups form an alliance, there would be enough for them to take the majority and choose their own a leader.

Alternatively, there could also be a scenario where the largest group takes minority control of the council. 

Tonight, there will also be a new chair and vice-chair elected, after both Cllrs George Cameron and Shirley Smart lost their seats.

The meeting will be the first to be held in public since the start of coronavirus pandemic. It will take place at Medina Leisure Centre at 5pm.

Up to 50 members of the public are invited but places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.

The meeting can also be followed live on Isle of Wight Radio's Facebook page.

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