From R. Packham, East Cowes:

Cllr Julia Baker-Smith (JBS ) protests too much about the concerns arising from her decision to relocate to Manchester for an unspecified period of time (CP, 10-08-18).

The residents of Whippingham and Osborne have a right to know just how much time their councillor is spending off the Island. Is she returning to the Island every week ?

Is it once a month or once in a blue moon to allow her to legally keep her seat on the IW Council ? If it is the latter, she needs to show up at council meeting, just once every six months. In any event her lack of candour is a matter of concern.

While everyone has a right to a private life, it is a fact when someone voluntarily chooses to run for public office that person must make a judgment as to how the demands on their private life impact on their ability to fulfil their public duties. Here Cllr JBS has failed.

Three months ago, she left the Island Independents to join Labour.

When she stood for the Independents under their manifesto “Framework for Change”, she promised not to form any pact or alliance with any political party, let alone join one and she failed to maintain her independence in this way, having been elected as an Independent she should immediately resign her seat.

It is legitimate to ask if this promise still holds good or has it been junked along with most of the others made by the Island Independents in 2013?