The Isle of Wight has taken an unusual approach to challenging the Government’s austerity policies: it has released a single.
Part Beastie Boys homage, part Billy Bragg-esque protest song, Fight for the Wight is an original attempt to raise awareness of the ‘crippling cuts’ affecting the island’s public services.
Isle of Wight Council has made £50m worth of cuts over the last five years and it faces having to find another £31.5m of savings before 2020.
With this in mind, they commissioned the local music college, Platform One, to write a song that could alert people to the challenge facing the council.
Full time degree lecturers Ben Allman, Andy Booth and Mark Chettle managed to write the music and lyrics in just two days.
Fight For The Wight from Fight Wight on Vimeo.
‘The levels of cuts imposed on all councils by central government in recent years due to austerity are hitting the Isle of Wight harder than most,’ said council leader Jonathan Bacon.
‘We have high levels of unemployment and deprivation, higher than average numbers of older people who often require additional services, and as an island we also face higher costs to deliver those services.’
‘We simply cannot cope with the levels of austerity we’re expected to achieve and will not be able to deliver vital services to our community if this carries on!’ he added.
