I want to continue working for the Isle of Wight — that was MP Bob Seely's response today to the County Press's question of whether he would resign after appearing to break the spirit of lockdown.

In an exclusive interview with the County Press, he responded to the petition launched by IW Green Party member Cameron Palin and signed by nearly 1,500 people.

Read here: Petition calls for Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely's resignation over barbecue

Asked directly: There is a petition and a lot of comments and letters asking for your resignation. Will you resign?

Mr Seely said: “When I was selected in 2017, the Conservative vote from the previous election was less than 29,000. Over two elections, I have increased this to 42,000 – the highest level of support ever achieved by any candidate on the Island.

“Whilst some of this uplift may be down to the national swing, I also hope that it is a vote of confidence in the work being done by me to champion the Island in Parliament and with Government.

“Since last Friday, I have received approximately 130 letters or emails on this issue, a relatively small number compared to the average online campaign.

"Of those, about 100 are critical and under 25 have called on me to resign — out of a voting population of 113,000.

“So, I’d like to be able to continue to work on behalf of the Island and look forward to continuing to deliver for the Island, that is why I wrote the Island manifesto outlining the key campaigns that needed to be fought on the Island’s behalf.”

After appearing to say he wouldn't be resigning, Mr Seely answered other questions about the incident, now dubbed Sausagegate:

Q: You have apologised for going to the barbecue, what are your general feelings of how you are perceived after this event? Is there a genuine feeling of regret?

A: “Yes, I do, and yes, the regret is genuine. I had had a long week, and this was one just one of a small number of constituency visits in my diary where I was meeting people face-to-face, at a social distance, across the Island. I didn’t think it through, assuming this was just another such meeting, in the same format as the others.

"The last few days have not been pleasant, but I only have myself to blame. My driving motivation is to make a difference for the Island, and therefore anything which distracts from that is frustrating.

"It is right that constituents hold me to account for what I am doing to the Island. For instance, I promised to secure more money for the NHS, to get recognition for the Island’s status and to secure a feasibility study into railway extensions.

"These things are now happening, but there is still much more to achieve on other fronts. I want Islanders to see that I campaign for the Island. Anything — particularly of my own making — which distracts from a focus on the issues affecting the Island is clearly not good.

Q: Why did you decide to visit?

A: "The person (The Spectator deputy editor Freddy Gray) I dropped in to see had written a negative article about using the Island for the app. I anticipated having a brief chat about his recent criticism of the Island, in the hope that I might persuade him to take a more positive stance,

“It is important for me that the Island is well perceived nationally. The app has generated a lot of national attention. I have always been very quick to try to quash negative commentary about the Island.

"I want our community to be seen as a great place to live, work and visit. If we want to attract new investment and new jobs for Islanders, we need to be presenting the Isle of Wight in a positive way. I find it staggering that there are people in politics here who prefer to moan how awful it is, rather than make a difference, make things better and sing the Island’s praises.

“Specifically, I want to work with Government on innovative pilot projects to get or community at the front of the queue. These are important for the Island.

"Thanks to the NHS bid last year, we got millions to invest in telemedicine, and last month we started the pilot scheme — forgive the pun — for drones flying from the mainland to support St Mary’s. So, we need to be championing new things which are good for us, and especially in healthcare for elderly and vulnerable residents on the Island so that their trips to the mainland can be reduced.

"I wanted to see Mr Gray to get him on-side for this agenda. The publication he works for (The Spectator) is influential and is read by government ministers. That is the background.”

Q: Is this double standards?

A: “I certainly did not intend it to be. Leaders should set standards. If they fail, they should put their hand up and admit it. I have done that. Life is short; and we should all be as good as we can be. If we fail, we should dust ourselves down and try again. I have never said I will always be perfect, but I did say I will endeavour to do my best.

“I would hope that people will see what I have helped achieve since first being elected three years ago today. This has included not just what I have referred to above, but also securing the future of Sandown School, getting priority funding status from the Arts Council, almost £50 million of investment in our existing railway network and — more recently — emergency funding for our ferries to ensure services continue for key workers during the current pandemic and those needing hospital appointments.”

Q: If you were put in the same position again, what would be your actions?

A: “Clearly, I would not have gone.”