I notice that the IW Council spin machine is being very quiet about the great news that there will be a full Office of Fair Trading (OFT) investigation into Island ferry services, after the local MP's campaign.
Of course at Full Council in February 2008, as I reported here,
"On Ferry Fares Fair (Labour's) motion to support the MP's campaign for an OFT investigation was amended by the leadership to kick it into the long grass of a Policy Commission enquiry by 27 votes to 14 - those against were myself, Deborah Gardiner, Mosdell, Swan, Foster, Stephens, Bowker, Joyce, Bishop, Churchman, Mc Robert, Humby, Knowles and Adams. Again cross party and none."
And that long grass has proved to be pampas-like under the loyal Policy Commission chairmanship of Johnny the Fox-Bond.............as of last month they were still taking 'evidence'. IW Council Tories - as snail-like as ever......
4 comments:
What IS the truth about the rift between the Tory council and the Tory MP, apart from the fact that the latter has twice the brainpower of all the Tory councillors combined (plus quite a lot, obviously)?
Turner, however damaged he may be by his illness, is streets ahead of his council "colleagues". Why were they so terrified by an OFT investigation into ferry services? Perhaps Andrew is too bright to be a real Tory... or too straightforward?
It is curious, and doesn't seem to be reported. Conspiracy theorists might think that was because all local media get decent advertising revenue from the ferry companies? Why didn't IW Council support the Mp? Does anyone at County Hall have a close relationship with the ferry operators?
The Chamber of Commerce has them all as members and even one big user on the board. No doubting why they didn't support Turner, despite the best interest of the members, but the council?
Andrew T has indeed got more than the combined brainpower of this council's leadership. Sadly that isn't hard.
Turner WAS damaged by his illness but seems to have recovered well. His speech is still not 100% but that often happens after a stroke, there's nothing wrong with his brain.
I used to know a very clever bloke who always introduced himself saying 'I'm not pissed you know' His stroke left him with a slight slur. He too was twice the man DP will ever be.
The service provided by Wightlink is 'totally unacceptable' said the Captain on last Monday's 8.40am sailing from Yarmouth.
Some passengers had been waiting two hours, this had become almost normal in the past two weeks. People report missing school, exams, work, holidays etc. When asked what Wightlink would do about repeated lateness by their own employees they made no reply.
The OFT need to sort this firm out. It's incredible that IWC won't support the enquiry, they're letting down all islanders.
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