A Message from Andrew Turner, the Island's MP

Thank you for visiting my website.  I hope you will find this site useful to help you find out about my role as the Island's MP.  

It has been my privilege to serve Islanders as their Member of Parliament since the general election in 2001.  The role of a Member of Parliament has changed a great deal in recent years.  First and foremost I am the Island's representative at Westminster, scrutinising parliamentary bills, working to shape legislation to improve the lives of all my constituents and holding the government to account.

I also help individual residents with problems and in order to represent the Island effectively at Westminster I need to stay in touch with Islanders generally. 

The Isle of Wight has more residents than any other UK constituency with 109,000 registered voters and 130,000 residents, so although I try to keep in touch with as many people as I can - it is clearly impossible to be in touch with everyone.   However I am very active locally, offering help and advice wherever needed.  If you feel that I can be of service to you, regardless of the Party that you support, or you want to let me know your views, please do not hesitate to contact me.   

Your Views Count!
I have just commissioned a new website dedicated for Islanders to complete surveys on a number of issues.  I will be developing it further over the coming months.

Currently there is the opportunity to complete a survey about a number of national issues and one specifically for Islanders up to the age of 25.

You can reach the new website here.

My Saturday Programme

On Saturdays I get out and about to a different part of the Island each week to knock on doors and hear the views of residents, finishing up at a local pub where anybody is welcome to come along to have a chat with me. 

This Saturday morning I will be out and about in Parkhurst  finishing up at around noon in The Stag Inn.  On March 20th I shall be in Shanklin.

If you would like to come along and help me with my Saturday sessions please give my office a call on 530808.

Difficult times ahead!

At the forefront of all our minds at the moment are the effects of the  recession.  People are being hit hard on the mainland and of course here on the Island.  Many residents are pensioners who rely on investments and savings to supplement their retirement incomes, the fall in interest rates has been very difficult for them to cope with.  Some people have lost their jobs, and in the current climate many employers are wary of taking on new people.  Even those who have not been directly affected have told me that they feel they are living in uncertain times.

The national debt stands at £178 billion and is rising by £6,000 per second, most banks have been bailed out by staggering amounts of taxpayers' money, and unemployment is rising steadily.  We are coming out of this terrible recession much more slowly than other major European nations.  It is important now that the Government gets a grip on spending so that we do not leave massive debts for future generations to pay. 

Of course here on the Island we have been hit by the decision of Vestas to close their plant in Newport, making more than 400 people redundant, although around half have now found alternative jobs.  This was despite the fact that this global company are making record profits - net profit for July to September 2009 came in at £150m - a rise of 70% from a year ago.  At the beginning of December we heard that a further 124 jobs are likely to go at BAe Systems at Cowes.  This is another serious blow to the Island's economy.  It will be very difficult for those employees directly affected and I am pushing the Government to give as much help as possible to them.  However, I do hope that if the economy starts to pick up that the picture for BAe may not be as bad as we fear.

A general election must take place before 3rd June this year.  Whoever wins that election is going to have to make some very difficult and painful decisions.  Before the election Conservatives will set out their plans honestly.  Some announcements have already been made and more details will be made public over the coming months.  This election will be the most important for a generation, whichever party you support I do hope you will use your vote - whenever Gordon Brown decides to call the election.

With very best wishes,

Andrew Turner




This website is funded from the allowances available to Andrew Turner as the Island's Member of Parliament.  If you have any ideas on how it could be improved please let us have your suggestions.  Any complaints about content should be made initially to the Director of Finance and Administration at the House of Commons