Fortifications of the Isle of Wight Fortifications of the Isle of Wight Many forts and fortifications have been built to protect the Isle of Wight (South England) from foreign invasion. Throughout history the island has been a site of key military importance. Controlling both entrances to the Solent and the home of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth. This is a list of most of the fortifications on the island. The Palmerston Forts are forts built during the Victorian era. The name comes from their association with Lord Palmerston, who was the Prime Minister of the time and promoted the idea. The structures were built as a response
Politics of the Isle of Wight Hampshire is the police service, which is joint between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight forms a single constituency of the House of Commons, with an electorate of 110,697 (as of 2017). This is by far the largest electorate in the country. The 2018 proposals from the Boundary Commission for England will split the constituency into two. The constituency was traditionally a battleground between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Between 1974 and 1987, the seat was a Liberal seat, then becoming Conservative until 1997 when the Liberal Democrats won on a reduced Conservative vote. The