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| Bevois Labour Councillor Mike Denness Photo: Southampton City Council |
Labour or Tory, same old story? Yes, yet again, we say it, because this Southampton Councillor was a Tory, then suddenly Labour.
Above is the Council's photo of Southampton Labour Bevois Ward Councillor Mike Denness. He might look familiar to you.
In 2017 and 2018, as documented by Southampton Independents and raised in Full Council, multiple investigations were made into Mike Denness by the Head of Legal and the legal team at Southampton City Council.
Previous at Millbrook for Labour
Then, Denness was a Millbrook ward councillor for Labour - not that you would know it from the current Council website. His Millbrook time is not even mentioned - only his time in Bevois is mentioned. Yes, it is the same Mike Denness.
Previous at Basingstoke for Conservatives
Previously, Denness had been the agent for Conservative Basingstoke MP Maria Miller. He had also stood for the Conservatives in Southampton. Yes, it is the same Mike Denness.
Conflicts of Interest
The investigations in 2017 and 2018 related to conflicts of interest between Denness' employment as a planning consultant, and being Chair of the Council's Planning Committee.
Why would anybody try to do both at the same time? Isn't it a clear conflict of interest? Yes it is. But Denness went ahead. Yes, it is the same Mike Denness.
Previous Investigations by the Labour Group Whip
Denness had also been previously investigated by the Labour Group of Councillors Chief Whip over similar allegations made by Councillor Andrew Pope, before 2015, before Pope quit from Labour and Denness was Millbrook councillor. Those related to Denness brazenly advertising that he was a councillor during his work as a planning consultant.
Conflict of Interest At Council Planning Committee
At the 24th April 2018 Planning Committee ("selective" agenda and minutes on the Council website here), then Independent Councillor Andrew Pope raised another conflict of interest over a planning application that Denness was presiding over as Chair of the Committee. Pope alleged that Denness had previously been employed as a planning consultant for that same application and site, near Brownhill Way/Brownhill Road.
The planning application number is 12/00596/FUL, with the description:
"Erection of 14 two-storey houses (12 x three bedroom and 2 x two bedroom) with associated parking, vehicular access from Lower Brownhill Road and space for a children's play area. | Land At junction of Brownhill Way and Lower Brownhill Road"
Pope raised a point of order during the meeting. Photos of the reaction of officers and councillors can be seen in the photos below. Apologies for the grainy nature - the Council Chamber is dark and the pictures were taken on an old camera.
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| Councillor Mike Denness in the Chair Councillor John Savage and Councillor Stephen Barnes-Andrews Two Council officers discussing the point of order Photo: Andrew Pope |
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| Councillor John Savage appears distressed while Denness consults Council officers Photo: Andrew Pope |
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| Another Labour councillor from the Committee whilst Councillor Denness consults an officer Photo: Andrew Pope |
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Confusion and Panic in the Planning Committee
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The minutes do state that Denness abstained from the vote. But he still presided over the vote as Chair, despite the clear conflict of interest.
Southampton Independents Took Action Where The Council and Labour Did Not
The following month, Southampton Independents put a candidate up against Mike Denness in the Millbrook ward. This was done as an anti-corruption tactic and designed to remove Denness, both as Chair of Planning and as a Tory/Labour turncoat and Millbrook Labour councillor. As documented on the Wikipedia entry for Southampton Independents:
"Denness lost his Millbrook seat to the Conservative candidate, Steve Galton, by 63 votes - less than the number of votes received by the Southampton Independents candidate - 91."
The Southampton Independents Candidate in Redbridge Ward, Denise Wyatt, almost beat Labour. She came second and got more votes than UKIP, the Tories, Greens and Lib Dems put together. Labour employed desperate tactics to cling on to their slim majority.
Denness Recycled to Bevois Ward
Denness was then recycled as a Labour Councillor and then elected to Bevois ward, as shown on the Council website now.
According to his register of interests, he runs Consult Communications planning consultancy. His spouse is a Director. However, no mention of her being a director of Consult Communications is mentioned on the Companies House register of companies, at any time. Never.
Denness' register of interests is dated 31st October 2023. Yet the only other director of that company was Roger Denness.
Southampton Independents Taking Action Again Where Others Have Not
Andrew Pope says:
"I do not believe Mike Denness' spouse is called Roger. His register of interests is therefore inaccurate and that would be a criminal offence.
So I have complained to the Head of Legal again about Denness. When he joined the Labour Party, despite him being a Tory, Southampton Labour ignored Millbrook ward members including me.
Normally ward members choose the candidate. But for the by-election created by Labour student Councillor Georgina Laming quitting mid-term, they made Denness the Labour candidate without ward members.
This itself was wrong, and suspicious. Denness rang me, pleading for acceptance.
I never accepted him, and I was proved right by my complaint to the Chief Whip, and after I had left Labour, I was determined to expose Mike Denness. I did, yet the selective minutes of that Planning pretend that I did not.
It seems that process of exposing Mike Denness is continuing, with his register of interests being wrong.
Yet again, it's Labour or Tory, same old story, Or rather, Tory then Labour, same old story."
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| Andrew Pope |
