Despite calls to form a cross-party cabinet — and a pledge to work together — the new leader of the Isle of Wight Council has announced a reshuffle… with no one from outside his own group.
Cllr Phil Jordan took the reigns of the authority just over two weeks ago, and said he was thinking about a cross-party cabinet after his group, the Alliance Administration, was heavily criticised for not working across the council chamber.
Today’s (Friday’s) announcement that there were no new members in the cabinet came as a ‘shock’ to other councillors, who thought discussions were going to take place next week.
A ‘horrified’ Cllr Paul Brading, the Conservative group’s deputy leader, said it ‘flies in the face’ of what Cllr Jordan had said about working together.
He said he has been waiting for someone to speak to his party, ever since Cllr Jordan was appointed council leader last month. No one has had a call or email, he said, just a meeting scheduled for next week.
It had been put in the calendars of group leaders and some other councillors, called to discuss cross-chamber collaboration, he said.
When he was appointed as leader, Cllr Jordan said he would do everything he could to work across the council, although he said it would not be easy.
Cllr Brading said after that meeting the Conservatives had hopes of a real collaboration but the cabinet was a missed opportunity.
Other councillors have also expressed their disappointment.
Cllr Geoff Brodie — who was not interested in a cabinet position as he looks to step down in May 2025 — said he was disappointed no political party, including the Greens, wanted to work together in the cabinet. He suspected it was because of general election priorities.
Cllr Brodie said:
“As it stands this is just a reshuffle of the existing cabinet, which does not fill me with a great deal of hope for the next 18 months.”
The Empowering Islanders (EI) group said they were unaware of the reshuffle until being contacted by the media for comment this morning.
Cllr Chris Jarman, EI leader, said the group was not invited to or involved in any talks for a cross-party cabinet and he had spoken to other members, not in the Alliance, who also knew nothing about the reorganisation.
The cabinet responsibilities will now be:
- Cllr Phil Jordan – Transport and Infrastructure (with added leadership responsibility)
- Cllr Ian Stephens (deputy leader) – Housing and Finance
- Cllr Jonathan Bacon – Education and Corporate Services
- Cllr Debbie Andre – Adult Social Care and Public Health
- Cllr Lora Peacey-Wilcox – Climate Change and Biosphere
- Cllr Julie Jones-Evans – Leisure and Regeneration (unchanged)
- Cllr Karen Lucioni – Community Safety and waste (unchanged)
- Cllr Paul Fuller – Planning, Coastal Protection and Flooding (unchanged)
Cllr Andrew Garratt, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said his party did not seek any positions in the cabinet but hoped the executive would work hard to ensure all councillors are engaged with tackling big, upcoming challenges, and in an open and transparent way.
The council is currently looking at whether to adopt a committee system, which Cllr Garratt supports and hoped would bring about greater collaboration or input from all councillors.
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