It's Back - Let's Play GUESS THE POTHOLE!

 

Get Your Ducks In A Row
Photo: Southampton Independents

Inventor of this game Andrew Pope, who is a Member of the Independent Network and Co-Founder of Southampton Independents, says:

 

Andrew Pope

 

"It's spring, let's get our ducks in a row. And our ducklings too.

 

Which road in Southampton is the pothole in? 

 

No prizes are given

But you will get 

The warm glow

To know 

That your ducks

Are in a row!

Southampton's favourite pothole-related game is back, on our Facebook page here.

Like the page to follow us and take part.

... 

A bit of help for you, the second clue of the road is in my poem... More clues will be added, so get involved and guess the pothole!"

 

Another Southampton Redbridge Ward Labour Councillor Removed - First Lee Whitbread Now Sally Goodfellow

 

Redbridge Labour Councillor Sally Goodfellow
Photo: Southampton City Council

Labour Losing One Councillor Is Bad... 

First it was reported by the Daily Echo that Southampton Redbridge Labour Councillor Lee Whitbread has been suspended by the Labour Party. At the time of writing, it is one of the most popular posts on our website. 

And at the time of writing, Whitbread is still listed on the Southampton Labour website as a Labour councillor. Is he or is he not? Will he be standing in the local elections when his seat is up?

The Southampton City Council website lists him as "Independent". As we've said before, he is nothing to do with us. He is nothing but a fake independent and a suspended Labour one at that.

Another Redbridge Labour Councillor Loses A Council Role 

Now, it is reported by the Daily Echo that another Southampton Redbridge Labour Councillor, this time Sally Goodfellow, who is in the news. 

She has been removed as a governor at Shirley Warren Primary School. This school is not in the Redbridge ward. It is in the Shirley ward, where Labour have just lost two by-elections in a row.

Who is Responsible? Labour Councillors

The Leader of the Council at the moment is Councillor Alexander Winning. He is a Shirley ward councillor and is up for election in May 2026. The Cabinet Member for Children and Learning is Councillor Amanda Barnes-Andrews, a Bitterne Park ward councillor who is up for election in May 2027. Under collective responsibility at least, they would have both had to agree the removal of the governors.

UPDATE: A response has been received from Councillor Barnes-Andrews. She says that Cabinet did not make the decision. Her response will be communicated in a future article. 

Who Else Was A Governor? 

Councillor Goodfellow has been removed, along with all other governors, including the Chair Andy McHugh who is mentioned in the Echo article. The register of interests document on the school's website shows the following list of governors was in place:

• Zoe Newton, the now ex-headteacher and Governor
• Andy McHugh, Trust Governor, with interest registered as Shirley Warren Action Church
• Sophia Ship, Deputy headteacher and Trust Governor, with interest registered as Southampton City Council
• Aby Adekoya, Co-opted Governor, no interests registered
• Sally Spicer, Co-opted Governor, with interest registered as Southampton City Council. Spicer is Goodfellow's married name. In the Echo report, she is quoted as being "angry".
• Shannon Wannell, Parent Governor, no interests registered
• there are four blank rows in the register of interests, one parent governor, one Council governor, one staff governor, one co-opted governor 

All of these governors have been removed by the Labour-run Southampton City Council.

What Have Southampton Independents Done On Behalf of Parents and Residents? 

Southampton Independents has written to the Bridge Education Trust to express its concern about the situation and ask a set of questions on behalf of parents and the taxpayer. 

We have a response, to which we have also expressed further concern. So we await a further response. The Bridge Education Trust is also responsible for other schools in Southampton.

Southampton Independents has also written to Councillor Amanda Barnes-Andrews with a set of questions on behalf of parents and the taxpayer, and also to Councillor Alex Winning.

 

 

 

VICTORY: Andrew Pope Wins Campaign for Southampton Councillors To Be Subjected to DBS Checks

 

Andrew Pope

In July 2024, Andrew Pope began a campaign to make sure that all councillors receive DBS checks. He submitted a Freedom of Information request asking what the Council were doing when assessing councillors. They were not being done any more. So Andrew began the process of campaigning for councillors to have to have the DBS check.

Around 18 months later, the Council Governance Committee agreed. Andrew says:

"When I was first elected, I received a DBS check. But then it did not seem to be happening to new councillors that were then elected.

I made enquiries with the Head of Legal. 

In 2024, I asked for DBS checks to be done again. Now they are."

 

 

 

Refused permission to speak at Hospital Trust Board about Major Incident Fire

 

Andrew Pope at Southampton General Hospital
Photo: Southampton Independents

Andrew Pope reports from University Hospitals Southampton (UHS) site Southampton General Hospital (SGH). He says: 

In 2010, my Masters dissertation was titled: "How Democratic Are NHS Foundation Trusts?". On what happened today, the answer was: "Not very!".

I tried to speak at the Trust Board meeting today.

It had been very difficult to get information about attending the meeting and speaking at it.

I walked from Shirley to the Hospital, and eventually managed to find the room. I had to ask several staff, some of whom sent me to the wrong floor.

When I got there, I asked the Chair to speak at the meeting about the lack of sprinklers. She refused to allow me to speak!

That's right, public money funds these people, but they don't want to listen to the public or answer questions about their failings to protect staff, patients, the public and firefighters.

I sat outside the meeting room, and then someone from PR (a.k.a. BS) turned up. She claimed that "everybody accepts" that the public cannot speak at these meetings. She also was not keen on being quoted saying this.

Incredible!

Please sign and share this petition.

We will make these people listen.

P.S. The photo was taken by two ladies that I spoke to outside the Hospital afterwards. They were very shocked with what I told them happened.

EXCLUSIVE: Will the SGH Get A New Endoscopy Unit? Yes... but where?

Southampton General Hospital
Photo: Southampton Independents

In the recent Major Incident fire at Southampton General Hospital, the Endoscopy Unit was completely destroyed. 

In an apology on the Hospital's Gastroenterology website, they have said this happend "unfortunately".

Huge Impact of Fire 

As reported widely, hundreds of patients had to be evacuated and over one hundred firefighters struggled to get the incident under control for several hours. 

Hospital staff have verified to Southampton Independents that vulnerable patients have suffered their health as a result of the incident. It is worth noting from huge bodies of clinical evidence, that it is a clinical fact that moving vulnerable people when ill, can negatively affect their health.

Southampton Independents is verifying with patients what impacts this might be, for example from smoke inhalation, and verifying with staff. 

The Incident has affected the entire Region of the NHS. It has also affected the City Council, according to the Local Democracy Reporter Jason Lewis. 

No Sprinklers and No Adequate Fire Safety Measures and No Major Incident Practice 

In the opinion of fire safety campaigner Andrew Pope, he says: 

"The fire could have been much less worse if they had had sprinklers, and possibly avoided completely if they had adequate fire safety measures in place. But they didn't. Today, I have discovered that they had not practiced for a Major Incident for some time. This is in the agenda and minutes of today's Trust Board. And it was identified at the November Trust Board to be "looked at". This is the language of dither and delay, not of safety critical action."

Will the SGH get a new endoscopy unit?

Yes, Southampton Independents can exclusively reveal. Andrew Pope has learned from sources close to the Hospital that a new endoscopy unit is being created. It is being installed using mobile units at the Hospital and at Adanac Park.

Andrew says:

Andrew Pope Pointing Out Fire Safety Breaches in Shirley Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents

"You will never guess where this endoscopy unit is being built! 

Where else have I been investigating the Park and Ride? At Adanac Park! 

A source told me, and I have verified onsite with staff and in documentary evidence, that a new endoscopy unit is being built on the land that I have suggested should be used for expanding the Park and Ride.

This land is right next to the existing Park and Ride facilities.

But because of the lack of fire safety in the destroyed unit, to add to the huge regional disruption caused by the fire, more public money is being spent on the new endoscopy unit!

If the SGH CEO and Trust Board had installed sprinklers, the impact would be nowhere near as bad as it has been.

I am continuing my campaign to get sprinklers installed, and to make it mandatory for hospitals by law in England."

 

Southampton Independents has given the right of reply to University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the SGH. They have still not made a statement, but have been asked again.

UPDATE: In a previous version of this article, the link to the apology was not implemented correctly. It has now been corrected. 

 

VICTORY: Another Andrew Pope Safety Campaign Win As Extra Safety Rails Added at St Marys Stadium

 

Andrew Pope in the Northam Stand with Safe Standing
Photo: Southampton Independents

Following on from his successful seven-year campaign to get safe standing at St Marys Stadium, in 2024 Andrew Pope began his campaign for extra handrails.

He has continued his campaign and throughout 2025, he added pressure to Southampton FC, Southampton City Council and the Safety Advisory Group that issues the Safety Certificate for the Stadium.

Now, more handrails or p-rails have been added, and more are under consideration.

Andrew says:

"This is great news. I am pleased that the Saints owners and staff have listened to me, acting on behalf of Saints fans who felt unsafe on the steep stairs and who asked me to act on their behalf.

I listen. I lead. I act.

Whether it is on sprinklers in tower blocks, rail seats at St Marys or sprinklers at Southampton General Hospital, this is what the Independent Network and Southampton Independents is all about. Your safety."

 

SOUTHAMPTON LABOUR FUNDING: How Long Would It Take Us To Find Something Amiss in Southampton Labour Party Funding?

 

Satvir Kaur Accepting a Cheque from Persimmon Homes
Outside... The Arts Complex
Photo: Persimmon Homes

Satvir Kaur Former Labour Councillor
Photo: Southampton City Council

  

NOT LONG... About ten minutes if you know where to look...

Yesterday, we published part of the minutes of Southampton Labour Party Executive Committee from 2017 where the then Leader of the Council Simon Letts told them that he would be closing the Kentish Road Respite Centre for vulnerable adults.

If the minutes are accurate, it appears that there was very weak opposition from Labour Party members on that Committee, including now Green Party Agent Lisa Fricker.

Then Letts followed through on his decision, much to the anger of families in Southampton.

So how is the Southampton Labour Party organised? 

How is the Southampton Labour Party funded?

And is it legitimately funded?

If you look on the Electoral Commission website, you will see a donation from Shere Sattar to Satvir Kaur's campaign in Southampton Test. Satvir Kaur is now the Labour MP for Southampton Test.

 

Shere Sattar Donation to Southampton Labour on Electoral Commission website
Image: Southampton Independents

This is the same Shere Sattar who the Daily Echo's Jason Lewis in 2025 reported as follows:

"A donation made to a Southampton Labour MP by a convicted criminal during the general election campaign was returned “very shortly afterwards”, the party has confirmed.

The £10,000 donation to Southampton Test Labour was part of around £40,000 given to the party by businessman Abdul Sattar Shere-Mohammod last year.

Satvir Kaur, who was elected MP for Southampton Test in July 2024, declared the donation on the register of members’ interests, with its registration date listed as August 2, 2024." 

So with some know-how, it literally took ten minutes to find something amiss in how Satvir Kaur is funded, and how the Southampton Labour Party is funded.

And what of Satvir Kaur's links with Mr Sattar?

Satvir Kaur in Daily Echo

In 2016, Satvir Kaur was quoted in the Daily Echo in an article containing quotes from her and Shere Sattar, alleging:

"A HUGE gathering of Muslims in Southampton has been cancelled due to escalating racial tensions after the EU Referendum...  

Southampton’s communities chief, Satvir Kaur, said she had received reports of racist abuse aimed at Polish and Asian residents after the referendum and there have been reports of racially aggravated abuse across the UK in the wake of the vote to leave the EU.

But police have say they have recorded less reports of hate crime in the week after the referendum than those before." 

The Echo reported in 2025 that:

"It is understood [Shere Sattar] was expelled from the Labour Party in August 2022 after it was informed about the criminal conviction."

Andrew Pope says: 

 

Andrew Pope
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

"This is no surprise to me. Before this scandal broke, I phoned Shere Sattar to ask him about his links with Satvir Kaur. He didn't want to answer.

Labour accepted funds from Shere Sattar for Satvir Kaur and her General Election campaign, despite Labour having expelled him from the party. 

This scandal involving Satvir Kaur, and the Labour Party and Satvir Kaur accepting a donation from a convicted criminal, also brings into question his allegations about alleged racism in relation to Brexit.

His allegations appear in the same article in which Satvir Kaur is quoted going along with his allegations about racism, so her claims also need to be questioned, as well as further questions on how she and Southampton Labour are funded. 

More questions need answers in relation to Kaur and her associates and funders."

Why You Cannot Trust Southampton Labour Party Members To Challenge Councillor Simon Letts

Councillor Simon Letts
Photo: Southampton City Council

 

Our Co-Founder and Member of the Independent Network Andrew Pope says:

 

 

"Southampton Labour Party's own documented meeting minutes from 2017, that I somehow obtained despite quitting Labour in 2015 and kept for years for the right moment, show that Southampton Labour Party members didn't stop Letts. They gave in with barely a whimper. 

There is no evidence in the minutes of challenge, just an explanation of what Letts intended to do. So everybody in the Southampton Labour Party at that meeting, including now Green Party Agent Lisa Fricker who would simply  'communicate' Letts' cruel decision, is complicit in Labour's cruel cuts. 

Labour or Tory, same old story, yet again! Like I said when I quit Labour in 2015, Simon Letts and Southampton Labour cannot be trusted." 

 

Who and What Is Simon Letts? 

Councillor Simon Letts is currently the Cabinet Member for Finance on Southampton City Council. He was brought in because in her short reign, the previous Leader of the Council Satvir Kaur, brought the Council to its financial knees and on the brink of bankruptcy. Kaur is now the MP for Southampton Test and incredibly, a Junior Minister in Keir Starmer's Government. Kaur admitted that she did not understand Council finances, yet somehow occupied these roles.

You would think that Southampton Labour Party and its members would control its councillors and hold them to account. We present here a case study in why you cannot trust them to do so, and why they allow Letts to be out of control and why he cannot be trusted with public money. When it took control of the Council from the Tories in 2012, Labour continued to make cruel cuts. Labour or Tory, same old story? You bet.

We present here the facts and the evidence. You can decide for yourself what type of person Simon Letts is. You can decide whether you think he is fit to be Leader of the Council, or responsible for the public finances in Southampton.

 

Splits and Factions in the Labour Group of Councillors 

As it is nationally with Keir Starmer's Government, Labour is not fit to run the Council, nor the country. And Labour politicians in Westminster or Southampton cannot decide who they want to be Leader. 

We understand from sources inside and outside the Labour Group of councillors that Letts wants to be Leader again, despite his previous failures as Leader and then being voted off the Council completely in 2018. 

Who is his opponent? The current Leader Alex Winning is up for election in May in Shirley, where Labour has lost successive by-elections. 

Southampton Independents was founded because of Labour councillors like Simon Letts and in spite of people like him. When our Co-Founder Andrew Pope quit Labour in 2015, he criticised Letts publicly. It made front page news in the Echo, authored by the respected former political reporter at the Echo, James Franklin.

Andrew Pope when Councillor
Photo: Southampton Independents

Arts Complex Wastes Tens of Millions of Public Money

Simon Letts was voted off the Council in 2018 by his constituents in Bitterne ward, after our campaign to expose his misuse of public funds, with the help of Cabinet Member Satvir Kaur, on the Arts Complex. 

Andrew Pope obtained an internal audit report about the Arts Complex, a report which he had pressured the Chief Financial Officer Mel Creighton into writing. 

Pope provided the report to the Echo, in the public interest. The Echo's reporter Rachel Adams, who Pope had contacted, then rang Letts and Letts went nuts. 

So the Echo put it on the front page, pointing out yet another over-spend by the Arts Complex and that Letts said he did not care why it had over-spent. 

Letts lost his Bitterne seat shortly after at the local elections in 2018, and therefore leadership of the Council. 

Southampton Independents had planned it, and had timed it, forensically. The people of Southampton were rid of Letts for a time on the Council. He went off and tried to be Southampton Itchen MP, but lost to Tory Royston Smith, twice.

Southampton Labour's Bilious Recycled and Re-treaded Councillors

But the Southampton Labour Party recycles failed councillors like Simon Letts. There are other examples of defeated councillors being regurgitated like an unwanted. bile-inducing meal. Their councillors lose elections but somehow end up back on the council. As former Tory Leader of the Council Royston Smith once referred to some of his own recycled councillors as "retreads". And like retreads, are they safe, whether Labour or Tory? No.

Letts Cruelly Closes Kentish Road Respite Centre Despite Massive Opposition

Another factor in Letts' demise was the campaign to try to save Kentish Road respite centre from Letts' cuts as Leader of the Council. Southampton Independents joined the campaign and provided advice to Lisa Stead and Amanda Guest, the latter of whom, much to our disgust and disappointment, later became a Tory councillor. We supported their campaign to save the respite centre.

But Simon Letts closed it in 2017. We can exclusively reveal the Southampton Labour Party machinations that enabled Letts to do this, despite massive public opposition and the punishment of vulnerable adults and their families.

Southampton Labour Party's Feeble Questioning of Letts

We have obtained the minutes of Southampton and Romsey Labour Party Executive Committee from Wednesday 22nd Novermber 2017 during the time that Letts closed the Respite Centre. Here is a very relevant section:

"Kentish Road – Concerns have been raised about the closure of Kentish Road from members and service users and Simon spoke openly on many of the issues that we asked him, including the new buildings at 32b Kentish Road and Weston Court. The CQC report states that the provision requires improvement. It currently costs £212 per person per night to use Kentish Road. There was 72 service users and 62 have currently found new care packages, 8 are looking at their options and 2 want only Kentish Road. The decision to change the use of Kentish Road will save 1⁄4 million pounds and will be used for patients with complex needs who require nurse led care but have delayed discharge from hospital because they are not well enough to yet go home but aren't ill enough to stay in hospital. Mencap and SCA have also expressed an interest in using the building for new headquarters but Simon said they would prefer to keep it linked with social care. It will also cost £30,000 to get 32b Kentish Road ready for use but Weston Court and the other options are ready to use now. Simon has offered the service users to co-design 32b. The final decision will be made next week and Simon will send Lisa (Fricker) a statement to email out to all members."

Andrew Pope says: 

 

Andrew Pope
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

"Their own documented meeting minutes show that Southampton Labour Party didn't stop Letts. They gave in with barely a whimper. There is no evidence in the minutes of challenge, just an explanation of what Letts intended to do. So everybody in the Southampton Labour Party at that meeting, including now Green Party Agent Lisa Fricker who would simply "communicate" the decision, is complicit in the cruel cuts.

It's ironic that Lisa Fricker was recently an election agent with the Green Party in the Shirley ward by-election. The victorious Green Party candidate in Gorton and Denton has been making promises that they cannot keep. All the big parties are the same. They lie to get power and then let everyone down.

When Fricker was on it, her Executive Committee could have decided to admonish Letts. Clearly from the minutes, it didn't. It just gave in to Letts.

Their minutes weakly express "concerns". The public opposition was much, much more than "concerns". It was vital. 

And eventually, after Letts was defeated in the 2018 local elections, the new Labour Leader Christopher Hammond said it was not their "finest hour". That is an understatement, because later in 2019 the Local Government Ombudsman ordered compensation for the victims of Letts' cruel cuts to the respite of vulnerable adults. 

Is Letts repentant? I doubt it. He paid with his seat, but he ensured the suffering of vulnerable adults and families with his heartless decision.

Now, he is responsible for the finances of the Council. How can anybody trust Simon Letts and Southampton Labour to make the right decisions for Southampton and its people?"

Southampton Independents has offered the right of reply to Lisa Fricker, Alex Winning and Simon Letts. Christopher Hammond lost the leadership of the Council to the Tories for one year and then did not stand for re-election. 

If we can find who to contact at Southampton Labour Party, because their website is completely lacking in transparency over who are the officers on the Executive Committee now, we will offer them a right of reply too.

 

Our Emblem

 

Andrew Pope Calls on Labour Cabinet Member for Housing Councillor Andy Frampton To Be Sacked

 

Andrew Pope on BBC South Today when a councillor
Photo: Southampton Independents

Andrew Pope says: 

"Council tenants and leaseholders have had enough. The elderly and vulnerable were deprived of their right to vote by Thornhill Labour Councillor Andy Frampton's failure to fix the lift in Milner Court. 

Yes, it's true, because I saw it and heard it including residents struggling with the stairs and others unable to go out to vote. It was very upsetting for me because I fight for democracy in Southampton and fight for residents. I have written about it on this website.

Firefighters and residents were put at risk by Councillor Frampton's wilful ignorance of the fire safety concerns I raised with him about Shirley Towers. I had to do his job for him, and I am not even currently a councillor!

He also ignored my repeated calls over the last two years for him to fix the widespread damp and mould in Council flats and houses.

Enough is enough. So I've called for the Labour Cabinet Member for Housing Andy Frampton to be sacked by the Leader of the Council, Labour's Shirley ward councillor Alex Winning.

At the same time, I've also reminded him that his own seat in Shirley is up for election in May, where both by-elections have been lost by Labour. Will he be "winning" in Shirley in May? I will try to make sure that he doesn't.

 

Thornhill Labour Councillor Andy Frampton
Photo: Southampton City Council

 

I've written to Councillor Winning today. I've also informed the Returning Officer, because the result of this election has been affected by the Labour-run Council's failures to protect residents and their right to vote."

 

Andrew Pope in Shirley Towers in 2026
Photo: Southampton Independents

Redbridge Towers in 2017
Photo: Southampton Independents

Daily Echo April 2017 After Redbridge Towers Fire
Photo: Southampton Independents

EXCLUSIVE: Both Parties Prevent Shirley Voters from Voting - Labour or Tory, Same Old Story AGAIN

 

Southampton Labour Has Robbed People of their Vote

At Thursday's Shirley by-election, voters complained to Independent Network  candidate Andrew Pope that they were prevented from voting.

The by-election was very close, being won by big political party Liberal Democrats by just 21 votes. 

Andrew says: 

 

Andrew Pope in Shirley Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents

"People told me they could not vote by post. And they could not vote in person either. It's a double whammy and an attack on democracy. 

The lift in one block was broken for more than a week, with the Labour-run Council failing to fix it. I asked the housing office to fix it so that people could vote. But they did not fix it, so people could not vote. Why? How? 

In Milner Court, there are two pensioner blocks with some people having mobility problems.

Without the lift, some people cannot get up or down the block, and so they could not get to the polling station. So that's Labour preventing voters from voting, just like I had to make them fix the sprinklers in Shirley Towers by shaming Labour into action.

And the Tories in Government put through the Elections Act 2022 which forced a lapse and timeout on postal votes. So some residents with mobility problems were unable to get their postal votes renewed in time, and then could not get to the polling station.

This was a close election. According to my team's sampling at the count, I did well in some areas and beat or was close to the Tories, Greens and Reform, but I lost votes in Milner Court because of Labour and the Tories failures. I am trying to bring a purer form of democracy back to Southampton.  

Do Labour and the Tories care? No, it's their parties' failures and deliberate attacks on democracy that meant that voters could not vote.

Labour or Tory, same old story.  

I will continue my work with the Independent Network and Southampton Independents to bring democracy back to Southampton."