A young Conservative who attended Christ the King College in Newport and is a director of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway has thrown his hat into the ring to be an Isle of Wight MP at the next election.

Isaac Farnbank, from Niton, with grandparents in Adgestone, has announced his intention to contest the Conservative nomination for soon-to-be-created parliamentary constituency of Isle of Wight East.  

Born and educated on the Island, Isaac is approaching the final stage of his university studies at King’s College, London.

Former Sky News and BBC journalist Harriet Hadfield, who lives in Seaview, is already seeking the nomination and other Isle of Wight Tories are likely to be chasing the blue ticket.

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In a statement, Isaac, 19, said: "Having grown up on the Island, I’m passionate about meaningfully tackling the issues we all experience and which shackle our potential.

"We need to aim higher, not just in our discourse, but in our very way of thinking about how best to achieve a more prosperous, fairer, and sustainable Island; not solely in what we seek to achieve, but how we go about leading the progress for which we all yearn.

"That’s why I have outlined an ambitious and coherent vision for the constituency, ahead of any selection proceedings.

"After consulting widely amongst colleagues and friends, I am persuaded that I could be the energetic, capable, committed Conservative Island candidate with a fresh approach that will complement and build on the sterling achievements of Bob Seely MP.

You can find out more about Isaac, and his vision for Isle of Wight East HERE

"My candidacy widens and diversifies the field, granting a real, meaningful choice in this key selection”

In announcing his intentions, Isaac also published a 19-page manifesto for the constituency entitled The Wight Way Forward.

His proposed policies include creating enterprise zones for Ryde and other seaside towns, trialling an education voucher scheme on the Island and aspiring to an Island grammar school, returning the Ryde to Portsmouth catamaran to the jurisdiction of the South Western Rail franchise and transferring all Island ferry ports to Trust Port or municipal ownership, creating an Island regional airport and backing an Island Park designation.