What has Conservative's Joe Robertson pledged to do as Isle of Wight East MP?

Joe Robertson was this morning declared the new MP for Isle of Wight East - the first time the Island has had two MPs for two different constituencies.

So, what can Islanders expect from Joe?

In the run-up to the General Election, the County Press interviewed all the prospective candidates and asked them a series of questions over several weeks.

Watch Joe Robertson's video by scrolling down.

Additionally, here are his answers to the questions for the paper:

Q) For many Islanders, concerns over reliability and the cost of cross-Solent operators are one of the biggest issues. What would you do?

A) "Ferry prices are too high and services are too unreliable. When I was growing up it wasn’t this bad.

"Today, the operators seem to be running a budget airline type service where demand drives prices. This is not appropriate for a lifeline service relied upon by an island population.

"People will need to put political differences aside and work together to deal with ferries. I will work with residents, councillors, campaigners and the West Wight MP to persuade the Government to step in and regulate prices and timetables.

"I also support competition and I have been talking to one of the directors of the new proposed car service between Portsmouth and Ryde. I believe the plan has a real chance of success."

Q) Whether it's because of staff shortages or technical woes, Island Line has struggled for reliability in recent times.

As of Sunday, June 2 a new timetable came into place on the line, but there are no signs of a two train service being restored, despite previous promises. What would you do?

A) "The Government's multi-million pound investment in Island Line in 2021 represented the biggest upgrade to this route in over half a century.

"There have obviously been some operational challenges in keeping to a timetable with tight turnarounds which reliably ensures that FastCat services are met for both departures to, and arrivals from, the mainland.

"The team running Island Line, and the management provided by SWR, must ensure that the improvements made over recent years can continue to be enjoyed by those using this route and that the service is not reduced."

Q) Ryde, Gurnard, Newport, Cowes and Binstead bore the brunt of flooding over the last year or so. What would you do?

A) "As an IW Councillor I’ve been one of the leading voices speaking up for victims of flooding, which also includes people living in Bembridge and Brading.

"I regularly attend residents meetings and have worked with other Councillors cross-party to try and get residents the compensation they deserve. As MP I would be in a much better position to help make this happen.

"The various organisations – IW Council, Southern Water, Island Roads, Environment Agency and Landowners – must work together more effectively to tackle flooding, and the next MP has a big role to play in achieving this.

"Flood defences, like those at Simeon St Rec in Ryde, must be operated in accordance with their design and not in a haphazard manner."

Q) Islanders young and old are struggling to get an dental appointment and Healthwatch Isle of Wight has laid bare the level of distress it is causing. What would you do?

A) "The national framework for dentistry was brought in by Labour in 2006.

"It was not particularly well thought out at the time and it’s now out of date and in need of reform. On the Island, NHS dental contracts are provided by the local Integrated Care Board (ICB).

"Unfortunately, last year the ICB issued inflexible contracts meaning that some providers could have delivered more NHS appointments while other providers did not manage to deliver the appointments they were allocated.

"As a result, there was a £3million underspend – money available but not spent due to local contracting.

"The ICB must do better, and make sure all the NHS money we have available is used so more Islanders can get an appointment."

Q) There were thousands of hours of sewage releases off the coast last year, including in Cowes which saw 5,000 hours of discharges. What would you do?

"All sewage discharges into the sea are unacceptable. Most of the overflows take place when storm water enters the combined sewage system and overwhelms it.

"We need to do more to stop rainwater run-off. Southern Water have been rolling out their slow-release water butt scheme but it is taking too long to implement.

"The council also needs to do more. I recently voted for the cross-party motion for zero sewage discharges and the Council needs to follow through, starting with housing and planning rules.

"If elected MP, I will work with the Council, Southern, Water and the Environment Agency to make sure they take collective responsibility, rather than blame each other."

Q) Whether it's a lack of affordable homes or soaring rental costs, the Island is in the midst of a housing crisis. What would you do?

A) "We have not delivered enough affordable homes on the Island over a number of years. That is why we have such a big housing waiting list.

"The council needs to do more. I met with a provider last year which has money to invest but it is struggling to work with the council to find suitable land.

"Two years ago I helped secure up to £40m of low rate borrowing for the council to release land and build homes itself. It has not spent a penny of it - and doesn’t even have a plan to.

"Working with social housing providers and local developers is essential, and as MP I will bring all parties together to deliver for Islanders in need."

Q) How would you tackle the cost of living crisis?

A) "One of the biggest contributors to the cost-of-living crisis has been inflation, particularly inflation in energy prices made worse by war in Europe.

"Inflation is back down to 2%, but we cannot take it for granted and must continue to prioritise keeping inflation low. We also need better paid, permanent employment opportunities here on the Island.

"The next MP needs to be a powerful ambassador, attracting new business investment to the Island creating more permanent jobs.

"The next government also needs to be prepared to support people directly by maintaining an energy price cap, Household Support Fund and cost of living payments."