Island ferries 'simply not good enough', says PM

Recent ferry services for Isle of Wight residents have "simply not been good enough", the prime minister told an island MP.

Sir Keir Starmer was responding to a question from Joe Robertson, the Isle of Wight East MP, about islanders' reliance on "foreign-owned, debt-laden, unregulated ferry companies".

The prime minister told Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that he knows both Isle of Wight MPs want customers to "receive a better service".

The maritime minister, Mike Kane, has met ferry and hovercraft operators, the Isle of Wight Council's leader Phil Jordan and other stakeholders about improving services, Sir Keir said.

Several of Red Funnel's high-speed Red Jet services between Southampton and West Cowes were cancelled in December because of a "limited availability of crew".

Red Jet passengers said unreliable crossings were causing them "huge stress" last year and that some had experienced disrupted commutes and journeys to hospital appointments.

Robertson said they had faced "excessive ferry prices and bad services".

He compared the situation on the island to buses, trains and Scottish ferries, which are regulated and subsided and asked Sir Keir if that "anomaly must come to an end".

The prime minister said he knew that the "commitment" to a "better service" was shared by the Isle of Wight West's Labour MP Richard Quigley, and that he will keep Mr Robertson informed on any further progress.

Ahead of the general election last year, voters in Newport told the BBC that they wanted cheaper ferries.

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