Islanders rightly have much to talk about regarding the proposed Boundary Commission plans for 2 MPs for the Isle of Wight – and first and foremost we absolutely must move from one MP to two. We deserve it.

Many Islanders have spoken about how arbitrary the proposed east/west dividing line is, and talk that Fairlee should not be in the east and that our county town of Newport should never be divided.

Read more: Latest plan to split Isle of Wight into two constituencies

But – as a Newport resident who remains open minded about where the boundary line is drawn – wouldn’t our town have stronger representation if we had the ears of two MPs?

Unlike the other towns across the Isle of Wight, drawing the East/West boundary through Newport would give Newport residents double the MPs, double the voice, and double the number of people working for us.

Of course, putting a small area such as Fairlee as separate to the rest of Newport does not make sense.

But rather than campaigning for the whole of Newport to be in one constituency, maybe we could consider a more equal East/West divide within the town, thereby giving residents the ear of both MPs and bringing our community together in the centre of our Island? Then it would truly remain our county town.

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