Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2012 | Page 43

INTERVIEW

David, aged six, crossing the Solent on a
Sealink ferry

David, aged seven, as a pupil at the former Westmont School in Newport

omelette without breaking a few eggs
first.”
Budget cuts have meant sacrifices,
but David thinks some have been
for the good of the Island, saying:
“Looking at how services are provided
and taking them outside the Council
and seeing them flourish has been
comforting. We can’t take the credit,
because that goes to those who have
taken on the initiatives. Shanklin
Theatre has a whole new lease of life;
the new complex on Shanklin seafront
that was a crazy golf and putting
green, is now a vastly improved
facility.
“The library situation was
contentious but we had to reduce our

overall level of expenditure over the
last year and some of the savings had
to come from the front line. We took
the decision to no longer run five
libraries, but we have good teams of
volunteers and greater flexibility. We
got the criticism, but now we can take
the comfort from the fact these have
come to fruition. We have had to cut
our cloth and the community has risen
to the challenge to help us do that.
“People have been made redundant
and that is difficult. But there is
no alternative apart from spending
beyond our means or increasing the
Council tax, and people don’t want
that. No public authority will ever get
everything right. But we have done

things out there to put more money
into the economy rather than have a
bloated County Hall.”
David insists he has never really
mapped out his long-term future,
but accepts: “There is no disputing
I enjoy politics immensely. I don’t
like losing so in that sense I am quite
competitive.”
Five years on from his leadership
appointment he claims: “I don’t do my
own ratings – I will let the public do
that and we have elections next year. I
have to say I am a very different man
to what I was five years ago. I can
meet Government ministers with far
more confidence, and I probably listen
more than I did, know when to stop
talking, and recognise we don’t have all
the answers.”
So can he eventually see himself as a
Parliamentary candidate? He mused:
“Never say never. I would be interested
but not for a few years. I have a job
and a big task here, and enjoy what
I do. Often a Council leader’s role
offers a greater opportunity to have an
input into local decision making than
Parliament does. No one would expect
me to rule it out, but there is no map,
so I will see where life takes me.”

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