The Isle of Wight will work with islands across the UK, through the creation of a new Island Forum, part of the government's Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which was published on Tuesday.

The Prime Minister has promised to break the link between “geography and destiny” through twelve national “missions.”

They include tackling problems with public transport, ensuring access to 5G broadband, improving pay, employment, and productivity, increasing investment outside the South East, creating affordable housing and ending illiteracy and innumeracy among primary school leavers.

There is also a plan for islands to work together in a different way than they have previously, acknowledged by secretary of state Michael Gove.

In Parliament, the Isle of Wight MP, Bob Seely, asked: "Can [Michael Gove] assure us the Forum will give a voice to islands, such as the Isle of Wight, to be part of the prosperity agenda, in education, in high quality jobs, as well as landscape and seascape protection, for some of the most unique and beautiful parts of Great Britain?"

Mr Gove said: "Absolutely and the Islands Forum is an idea developed pulling conversations and advocacy from my honorable friend, because we recognise absolutely, because he's consistently pointed out, that there are particular challenges that island communities face as a result of distance and dispersal and we need to tackle them." 

As part of that, a new Islands Forum will be set up and Mr Seely says it will complement a group he had previously created, called the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for UK Islands. 

Since 2017, cross-party members of the APPG have been lobbying government in the interest of islands facing different (but shared) challenges, when it comes to things like infrastructure and transport and access to education and training.

Mr Seely said: "Over the years, [the APPG has] secured a number of debates...and I am grateful for the continued input of Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Labour and SNP colleagues.

"We have collectively tried to influence Government to listen to the experience of islanders throughout the UK as well as Islanders on the Isle of Wight."

Under the government's levelling up agenda, it is hoped the Forum will move that work forward.

Fine detail and funding information has yet to be released, however the Island has been identified as an education centre in need and one of 55 'cold spots' where school outcomes are the weakest.

The Department for Education says the Island will be prioritised for a new specialist 'sixth-form free school' and schools that have been judged below 'good' in successive Ofsted inspections could be moved into 'strong multi-academy trusts'.

Mr Seely says he is delighted, but critics are not convinced by the plan.

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Mr Seely said: "The Forum will bring together representatives of those various island communities, and I very much hope that the Isle of Wight Council will play its part.

"We will then explore how we can all solve common problems for the benefit of islanders throughout the UK."

In October, the Island won nearly £6 million to creating vital marine jobs and new public spaces for East Cowes. 

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Mr Johnson said the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill was the “most comprehensive, ambitious plan” of its kind that the country had ever seen but Labour has dismissed it as “more slogans” with “few new ideas”, said PA.