Isle of Wight East.
Conservative and Unionist Party MP Joe Robertson holds the seat on 30.6% of the vote.
1 Jun 2026
Robertson has broken from the Conservative whip twice on the same issue -- backing the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at both Second Reading and Third Reading, against his party's majority both times. That cross-party stance on public health marks the clearest instance of independent judgment in his voting record so far. Beyond the chamber, he has attracted BBC coverage for introducing a private member's bill targeting ferry pricing in the Isle of Wight, arguing that island residents face a captive market and "rip-off prices" from ferry companies. He has also publicly challenged the government over its cancellation of the Islands Forum and organised a local jobs fair -- the kind of constituency-facing work that dominates his local press coverage.
Robertson participates in 74% of votes, slightly below the Commons average of around 80%. He votes with the Conservative majority 99.5% of the time, making his tobacco rebel votes the rare exceptions. His voting profile is strongly pro-business, tough on crime, and resistant to tax increases, with near-total opposition to Labour's worker and welfare measures. His speeches cluster around economy and jobs, local government, fiscal policy, and transport -- topics that map closely onto Isle of Wight concerns. He sits on the Health and Social Care Committee, which helps explain his tobacco policy position.
His deviations from the party average are modest but notable: he leans slightly more towards assisted dying access and consumer protection than his Conservative colleagues, and somewhat less towards criminal justice reform. Local news coverage is high in volume but neutral in tone, dominated by community, crime, and cultural stories rather than controversy. His record since July 2024 is that of an active constituency MP with a focused local agenda and rare but consistent independence on public health.
Ward-level direction-of-travel: who controls what, who flipped recently, who holds the line.
| Ward | Latest winner | Votes | Council | Last cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bembridge | Mark Rochell | 643 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Binstead Fishbourne | Ian William Dore | 894 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Brading St Helens | Jonathan Francis Bacon | 780 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Haylands Swanmore | Les Kirkby | 437 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Lake North | Bill Nigh | 421 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Lake South | Ros Freeman | 517 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Nettlestone Seaview | Jules Hayward | 542 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Newchurch Havenstreet Ashey | Tony Barry | 638 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Ryde Appley Elmfield | Michael Lilley | 781 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Ryde Monktonmead | Karen Theresa Lucioni | 404 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Ryde North West | Reuben Loake | 401 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Ryde South East | Chris Way | 223 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Ryde West | Owen Potter | 355 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Sandown North | Robert Sean Newton | 419 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Sandown South | Frank Baldry | 358 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Shanklin Central | Stephen Charles Reynolds | 356 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Shanklin South | David John Llewellyn | 526 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Ventnor St Lawrence | Ed Blake | 627 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Wootton Bridge | Tony Raffe | 485 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
| Wroxall Lowtherville Bonchurch | Mark Jefferies | 621 | Isle of Wight Ref | May 2026 |
Source · Democracy Club · DCLEAPIL v1.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The seat’s population is concentrated in Ryde (24,009), with Sandown (12,105) as the second pole. Total population across named built-up areas: 69,627.
Source · ONS Built-Up Areas · Census 2021
| Settlement | Pop. | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Ryde | 24,009 | town |
| Sandown | 12,105 | town |
| Shanklin | 9,123 | town |
| Ventnor | 5,566 | town |
| Rural & dispersed | 4,178 | village |
| Bembridge | 3,561 | village |
Headline indicators.
| Indicator | Local | National | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | 46.1% | 57.1% | -19% |
| Owner-occupied | 68.0% | 63.1% | +8% |
| Private rented | 21.7% | 20.0% | +9% |
| Social rented | 10.2% | 16.8% | -39% |
Ethnicity.
Source · Census 2021
Population by age & sexCensus 2021 · 18 bands · click to expand
Source · Census 2021 (ONS) · % of usual residents; tick marks the median seat per band
Income tax contribution.
| Total income tax | £123m |
| Taxpayers | 32,000 |
| Median per taxpayer | £1,900 |
| Mean per taxpayer | £3,820 |
Source · HMRC SPI · ±8% confidence
Where the money flows back in.
This constituency is served by Isle of Wight. Each council’s service spend, peer rank and supplier list lives on its own page — open from the meta block above or the compass strip below.
Move the income slider on My place to see income tax, NI, VAT and council tax against your earnings — the household lens.
Headline rate.
By category.
Source · data.police.uk · 3-month rate per 1,000 pop
2024 — full result.
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe RobertsonWON | Con | 10,427 | 30.6 |
| Sarah Morris | Ref | 7,104 | 20.9 |
| Vix Lowthion | Grn | 6,313 | 18.5 |
| Emily Brothers | Lab | 6,264 | 18.4 |
| Michael Lilley | LD | 3,550 | 10.4 |
| David Groocock | Ind | 420 | 1.2 |
Turnout 34,078
Prior contests.
Created on the 2023 boundary review. 2024 General Election was the first contest on these boundaries.
Sources, methods & last update
2023 boundary review
DCLEAPIL v1.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Census 2021
National avg over 575 seats
±8% confidence
LSOA-aggregated · rolling 12mo