THE TWO new Isle of Wight MPs appear to be singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to County Hall's pleas for an extra £10 million to help deliver its services.

Isle of Wight Council leader, Cllr Phil Jordan, last week wrote to Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, urging her to help the authority address spiralling costs in providing adult social care, children's services and highways maintenance. 

The new Labour government has only provided an additional £4 million to cover these costs, but the council says it needs a further £6 million on top.

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In his letter, Cllr Jordan told the Deputy Prime Minister: "Current funding is insufficient to cover these unique and unavoidable costs, placing an enormous, unfair burden on Isle of Wight residents."

Labour's Isle of Wight West MP, Richard Quigley, agreed with his sentiment.

"We all know how the Isle of Wight has suffered, with more than £90 million of cuts annually to the council budget, under the previous Conservative government. 

"I fully support the leader's request for additional funding and will be lobbying accordingly." 

Joe Robertson, the Tory Isle of Wight East MP, has also written to Rayner, reiterating Cllr Jordan's plea.

"I have written to support the council's request for additional funding, due to the higher costs of delivering services on an Island," Robertson said.

"The request that £4 million last year becomes a £10 million multi-year settlement, seems entirely reasonable, and I urge the new government to put words into action and do what is fair."