From Malcolm Thorpe, Bembridge Harbour Authority, Bembridge:

The article ‘Show us the Books’ regarding Bembridge Harbour (CP, 21-06-19) does omit several serious items.

GMB has asked the Department For Transport to audit the harbour’s books; in fact the DfT had already responded in December 2018 when Baroness Sugg stated: “The Secretary of State for Transport has no plans to appoint any inspector to consider matters relating to Bembridge Harbour”.

Bembridge Harbour Authority complies with all laws and government requirements relating to disclosure of its financial affairs; this has even been confirmed by the Bembridge Harbour Trust (BHT), who appear closely allied with the GMB, as being correct.

However, both concerns still continue to request further information such as our management accounts that contain confidential and sensitive commercial data to which they have no rights.

Accordingly we see no reason to meet with the GMB and have informed Bembridge Harbour Trust that we have no intention of meeting BHT in its current format.

Neither GMB nor BHT has any legal, moral or contractual standing within the harbour.