INTERVIEW
determination to fight for change.
If you won the lottery,
would you continue?
Yes, I’m sure I would. It’s not
about the money.
What’s your favourite threecourse meal?
Garlic Mushrooms, Fillet
Steak, Cheese & Biscuits.
If you have dinner with
anyone in the world dead or
alive who would it be?
Churchill.
If you could ask any one in
the world one question, who
and what question would it
be?
David Cameron, How he sees
the future for local democracy
and local government.
“Actually what the administration did by ignoring me,
was to give me a four year planning period to ensure
that the Island council changed control, so Islanders
could have a good council, delivering services that
people wanted, and also offering value for money.”
So how did the Tories manage their landslide victory
in the 2005 election?
“I had been working very closely with the MP
Andrew Turner and a small select group of people to
ensure we were elected” says Andy.
“I had been lambasted in the council chamber three
years before in 2002 for advertising in the County
Press for people who would come and make a real
difference and become Conservative councillors. Two
and a half years from the election I had 35 candidates
and 13 sitting councillors working together and
planning the campaigns, going round knocking on
doors, working out the manifesto.”
When Andy arrived for his first day as Council Leader
he says he was aware many council employees were
concerned about their jobs.
“I’m quite keen to out-source services if I can get a
better value for money price for the taxpayer” he
says. “There were a lot of people within the Council
it was vital to look at output. We stopped a lot of
recruitment right from day one, and if you look at
the Council job section now in the County Press
you’ll notice it is greatly reduced.”
“Also within a month we changed the redundancy
policy. We are the only local authority in the whole of
the UK to only give statutory redundancy payments.
People who have been in the same job for many years
either have to respond to the new opportunities, or
they go elsewhere and look for a another comfort
zone, maybe another local authority that isn’t
modernising and moving at the pace we are.”
Andy reckons his previous experience of visiting
successful councils and seeing how they operate, is
now starting to pay dividends, with cost savings of
5% even before the end of his first financial year.
Where’s your dream holiday
location?
British Columbia
“The previous council did not communicate between
departments and it did not communicate with the
electorate,” says Andy. “This is why we have already
hosted meetings across the Island, talking about how
the Council is going to change, and the fact that we
are going to keep people up-to-date with what’s
happening.”
Who are better and more
organised workers, men or
women?
Women.
If you were given 50 million
pounds to improve one thing
on the Island what would
you spend it on?
“I see the Town Parish Councils playing a bigger role
in the future They are an important part of the
overall picture, and powers are slowly moving back to
these local Parish Councils, which, as a born localist, I
am happy about.”
The roads, they are the key to
everything.
Do you think there is still
room for large
supermarkets?
Andy is also keen to curb the ever-increasing
development on the Island, he said,
We are at the top end of the
threshold now.
“Before we build all these houses that Mr Prescott
wants built, we have to ensure we have the
infrastructure in place to service them – the schools,
the nurses and doctors, the decent roads and sewage
systems.
What’s your favourite music?
Last Night of the Proms
Your Favourite Car?
Range Rover. I have had two
Discoverys, two Freelanders,
and two Range Rovers.
“coaches put
very little
into the
Islands
economy”
14
“The other day I had calls from residents in
Freshwater complaining that they had raw sewage
running through their gardens. This is a good
example of over-development, and it has to be
controlled”.
Two of the main policies that the Conservatives
promoted very heavily were on bus fares and parking
fees - the £1 bus fare, and a yearly parking permit.
With many residents complaining that these are slow
in coming, are they ever going to happen?
“It’s still our intention to keep this promise, we have
already introduced free bus (Southern Vectis and
Wight Bus) and rail (Island Line) travel for the over
60’s, and in addition to this we have introduced a
50p bus fare for the under 19’s in full time
education.”
Island Life - www.islandlifemagazine.net