WORKERS at MHI Vestas met with the chief secretary to the treasury today (Friday) to tell her their priorities ahead of the government’s forthcoming spending review.

Islanders told Liz Truss government money should be spent on primary education and improving the ferry services.

Ms Truss could not confirm whether the Island would receive more money following the fair funding review.

A Portsmouth University study previously revealed the Island is disadvantaged by £6 million a year.

The council and Island MP Bob Seely have lobbied for the government to take this into account and allocate the Island more money.

Ms Truss said: “It was quite an interesting discussion at MHI Vestas. There were plenty of people around the table saying they were willing to pay more tax for more public services.

“There was real support for devolution of power and having more local tax raising.

“In terms of all public services — whether it’s education funding or police funding — those types of issues are taken into account in the formula.”

Ms Truss was visiting the Island as part of a national tour of meetings to understand the public’s priorities ahead of the next budget setting.

She welcomed a reduction in unemployment on the Island, with statistics showing it has halved since 2010.

MP Bob Seely said three per cent of contracts were zero hours contracts.

He said: “We do have a problem with seasonal tourism, but as places like Vestas show, and GKN, there are an increasing number of high quality jobs on the Island and if we develop our higher education sector and high-tech sector that will improve.

“We have got AI on the Island, we have got green energy as well, we have got ship building. Our quality job building situation is getting better, which is good.”

Ms Truss said the government would look to tackle other issues on the Island, including child poverty.

More than 7,000 children live in poverty on the Isle of Wight.

She said: “What we need to do now is help people get up the jobs ladder, get children a better education for their future prospects and boost economic growth because that is the biggest thing that will change that is getting peoples incomes up.”

She said reducing the cost of housing would also help tackle these issues.

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