Stuart Brown, No Fixed Link Campaign, Ryde:

I, alongside many like-minded individuals, began this campaign way back in 2014.

The campaign was to oppose the ideas of Carl Feeney and his Pro-Link group in their campaign for a fixed link.

It is fair to say that since 2014, Pro-Link, and the company it created, Able Connections, have enjoyed limited success. They raised the issue of a fixed link, which had been no real proposition since 1998, and published the feasibility study undertaken from back then.

They increased debate and the profile of the subject. They lobbied companies and interested parties and shared their ideas of the concept and its potential positives.

I say positives as I have never excluded the idea that there aren’t any; there are some obviously apparent advantages to a fixed connection to the mainland. The argument however, has always been that the potential to do harm outweighs the potential to do good.

We campaigned against a fixed link on the basis it would potentially have an irreversible and detrimental effect on the Island’s environment, crime rate, hospital services and increased road traffic and pollution.

We were also concerned about the marine environment.

Finally there was never a guaranteed time frame (electric cars promised) or cost to the build or future toll. The toll was going to change based on who you were and when it was for.

After five years of campaigning for and against monorails , bridges and tunnels, while dealing with a lot of bad blood and scaremongering (from both sides at times), along with the failure of Pro-Link to raise funds for a viability study, those of us that were still members of the Solent Tunnel group and not yet banned by Mr Feeney, discovered he intended to run for Island MP in December 2019.

Following the election campaign and the convincing re-election of Bob Seely with increased majority, it is clear there is no real mandate for a Fixed Link on the IW. Pro Link has over 6,000 members, Mr Feeney, however, only managed 1,500 votes.

Mr Feeney himself has suggested he will quit his campaign, even indicating he may leave the Island and watch the IW slip into “depravity”.

However, he has suggested quitting before, only to quickly change his mind. Therefore, the No Fixed Link Campaign declares victory against Pro-Link and the idea of a fixed link for good. As a result the No Fixed Link group will cease its campaign.

The Facebook group will continue to operate for conversation. I will now step aside.