What Will Andrew Pope Do if Elected As Your MP?

Andrew Pope

On thousands of leaflets being delivered across Southampton, Andrew Pope, our Candidate in the General Election for Southampton Test, has pledged to:

1. STAND UP for Southampton
2. LISTEN to YOUR priorities
3. Fight for BETTER roads, NHS & care
4. FIGHT waste of YOUR money
5. BREXIT working for YOU
6. A POSITIVE future NOT failure

Have you received our leaflet
on your doorstep?

Andrew says:

"Enough is Enough!

Labour, Lib Dem or Tory SAME OLD STORY!

I listen to YOU. I work for YOU."

Southampton residents Mr and Mrs Taylor say:

"Andrew listens to you.

Andrew works for you.

Andrew stands up for you." 

Former lifelong Labour voter Mr Goodchild says:

"Labour is aimless.

Labour is leaderless.

Labour MPs and councillors are hopeless.

I voted Labour all my life, but I just can't do it any more. Vote for Andrew Pope. Andrew stands up for you."

Denise Wyatt, Southampton Independents campaigner says:

"The Tories will fudge this Brexit. Nobody trusts Theresa May on dealing with mass immigration because she didn't deliver it in SEVEN YEARS as Home Secretary! 

Andrew is the ONLY choice for Southampton Test, if you want someone to fight at Westminster for the Brexit that you voted for in the EU Referendum."

At this General Election on 8th June 2017, or with your postal vote before then, please...

VOTE Andrew Pope Southampton Independents!

  

  

Labour, Corbyn and Whitehead Are A Threat to Our Safety

With today's news that Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott doesn't seem able to add up, Jeremy Corbyn visited Southampton and the Redbridge ward in the Southampton Test constituency.

Our Southampton Independents candidate Councillor Andrew Pope represents the same ward.

Andrew Pope is standing in the General Election against Alan Whitehead, Labour's candidate.

Andrew said:

"What use is a Labour policy if it is never going to be implemented, because Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Whitehead and the Labour-run Council lack any credibility because they are not leaders and they cannot add up?

Unlike Jeremy Corbyn and Alan Whitehead, Southampton Independents are here all year round, not for a flying visit every few years at election time.

They were on Kendal Avenue.

Did they show Corbyn and Whitehead the library on Kendal Avenue that the Labour Council closed, despite it costing little money and it being popular with local adults and children?

Did they take Corbyn and Whitehead to the Brownhill House care centre on Lower Brownhill Road, that the Labour Council closed last year, despite the NHS and social care crisis that Labour is always going on about?

Did they take Corbyn and Whitehead to speak to headteachers and parents of children at Southampton schools that the Labour Council last year said would get extra funds for extra pupils, funds which were then taken away later last year?

Did they take Corbyn and Whitehead to speak with Redbridge Towers residents who were left literally in the cold, with no information, after the recent fire?

Residents told me this morning that they resent Corbyn and Whitehead using our area for a publicity stunt.

And it appears that their visit is as poorly thought-through as Labour's policies and their sums on their policies.

Residents have suggested that Corbyn "jog on" back to Westminster and out of our area.

And that Alan Whitehead needs to be voted out at the General Election on 8th June 2017."

Labour Council Blames Tory Government For Its Own Failures

Southampton Independents campaigner Denise Wyatt wrote the following letter to the Daily Echo.

The online version is here, with links to other Echo articles on the funding of schools.

The original version of Denise's letter is below.

"I read today's Echo with interest, as I and my Southampton Independent colleague Councillor Andrew Pope had been contacted by parents and the headteachers of schools across Southampton. We met with those parents and headteachers.
The problems are not limited to just SEN schools.
As the Echo has reported at February Full Council, mainstream schools had their funding changed - not by the Conservative Government but by the Labour-run Council. Schools were told one thing by the Council and then the Council did another. They are furious with the Council.
Prior to that, the SEN provision in the City had not been properly forecast by the Council. And massive unplanned expenditure of millions of pounds resulted.
It seems that the Council doesn't have a grip on its schools, or on their funding, just like it doesn't have a grip on the safeguarding of children.
This is unsurprising perhaps when the current Chief Executive Ms Baxendale has presided over several Directors of Children Services and Labour has changed the Cabinet members for education and safeguarding many times over the last five years. The latest incumbent Labour Councillor Paffey doesn't have a grip, as neither did his predecessor former Cllr Jeffrey.
And no wonder OFSTED came back recently to inspect Southampton City Council. The Tories were no better when they were "in charge" of the Council.
It's just another case or Labour or Tory, same old story.
And it's one blaming the other, rather than parents and children getting the education and facilities they deserve - the best.
Best wishes,
Denise Wyatt
Southampton Independents"

Council's Child Protection Crisis Continues!

Southampton City Council has faced constant criticism over recent years, whether the Labour Party has been "in charge" of the Council or the Conservative Party has been "in charge". A list of some of the criticisms is at the bottom of this article.

Southampton Independents have been dealing with an increasing number of cases of protecting children from harm, including harm caused by the neglect of Southampton City Council.

One Redbridge family who asked us Independents to help them to protect a child and their family say:

"This Labour Council is a risk to children and their families.
For months, officers of the Council ignored us. The child ended up in hospital.
OFSTED need to come back!
Andrew and Denise fought for us to better protect the child.
Labour is failing families."

The case was referred by us, with the permission of the family, to OFSTED, who inspect Council services. OFSTED confirmed they would add the issues of the case to what they would look at when they next inspected the Council.

The issues included the lack of responses from the Council to the family, and the lack of response to Independent Councillor Andrew Pope when he raised the issues on behalf of the family.

The Labour Leader of the Council, Councillor Simon Letts, said at the time, and we quote:

"Contacting Ofsted in these circumstances makes you look ridiculous."

Do you agree that we did the right thing?

And do you agree that the Leader of the Council brings the Council into disrepute by saying such a thing?

Southampton Independents have been dealing with other cases where children's health and wellbeing have been put at risk by the Council's neglect.

Independent campaigner Denise Wyatt, an expert on local government, the welfare system and the protection of the vulnerable, says:

Denise Wyatt

"There have been many critical reports by the local Daily Echo and Hampshire Chronicle, going over many years, but neither Labour nor Tory seem to have been able to protect children, which they are legally and morally obliged to do."

Some of the failures by Southampton City Council, and which party was supposed to be "in charge" of protecting children, are listed below.

Independent Councillor Andrew Pope said:

"The many criticisms are the verdicts of the local media, the Lottery, the Crown Prosecution Service and OFSTED.  

Why has it been left by Southampton's Labour and Conservative parties to these external bodies to expose their failings?  

Why haven't successive Labour and Tory councils addressed the very serious safety issues? 

Is it because they prefer to cover up rather than clean up?

The fact that they've failed to answer my questions adequately, in public and in private, suggests that they prefer to cover up. 

Southampton Independents will continue to expose the failings of Southampton City Council on safeguarding and other issues facing the residents of our City."

ENDS

Litany of Failures of Successive Councils over Years (click the links for more info):

11th November 2016 (Labour has a majority on the Council. That is, they "run" the Council):

"Senior childcare manager Kim Drake quits just hours before major child services shake-up"

There have been many changes in the Director of Children's Services position over recent years. This was the latest one, and we understand that Ms Drake and someone claiming to be her "partner" did not seem to be too pleased with the situation, judging by comments on the Echo website at the time.

"The authority has twice the number of children in care than the national average."

"Independent Redbridge ward councillor Andrew Pope said: 'After many years, there continue to be very serious problems with the council's Children's Services.'

"Neither the Conservatives, nor Labour, have addressed these problems and children continue to be put at risk by the council's failures."


18th August 2016 (Labour has a majority on the Council):

"Southampton won't get £10m to improve children's mental health project due to "poor leadership" at council"

"LOTTERY bosses have blamed poor leadership at Southampton City Council after they refused a bid for £10million for youth mental health services."


23rd January 2016 (Labour has a majority on the Council):

"City council chiefs have confessed that social services workers, teachers and those in council run community services all ignored glaring signs that the sisters, aged seven and two at the time, were being severely neglected at home."


29th May 2014 (Labour has a majority on the Council, case referred to 2011 when the Conservatives were "in charge" of child protection):

"Southampton social services have been condemned in fresh reports into deaths and abuse of vulnerable children in their care"

"In 2011 Labour criticised the Tory administration for relying too heavily on agency staff to flesh out social services jobs.

But the reports released today confirm these failings continued after Labour won back control in 2012, with two cases occurring in late 2012 and early 2013."

18th November 2013 (Labour has a majority on the Council):

"Shake-up for Southampton City Council social services in wake of children's deaths and damning Ofsted report"

"COUNCIL chiefs have vowed to carry out a major shake-up of social services in Southampton after inspectors branded them “inadequate” at a time when four children died in the city."


30th May 2014 (Labour has a majority on the Council, case referred to 2011 when the Conservatives were "in charge" of child protection):

"Crown Prosecution Service to revisit case of Shelly Adams following a damning review of her care of Bradley and Jayden Adams"

"(Conservative) Cllr Jeremy Moulton, who was in charge of children’s services in 2011, said this was something that should change..."

"Cllr Mark Chaloner, Cabinet member for children’s safeguarding since last December, said some members of the social services leadership team had left their jobs after performance reviews.

He said: “The people who were in charge at the time of these cases are no longer in charge but that was part of a natural change looking at events that occurred across two or more years.”

The OFSTED reports on Southampton City Council are listed on their website here.

Children at Risk - Labour or Tory, Same Old Story

Our latest "Redbridge Rally" newsletter

It takes us Independents to raise the failures that both Labour and Conservative parties have failed to address.

Just as with the scandal of the Arts Complex millions, supported by Labour and the Conservatives, the two-party system has failed the City of Southampton for too long.

Whilst the Arts Complex drains public funds, children are being put at risk and care centres for the elderly have been closed.

Whether it is Labour or Tory, it's the same old story.

We are very grateful to the Southern Daily Echo for two articles on child safety that they have recently published:

• Senior childcare manager Kim Drake quits just hours before major child services shake-up
• Soaring numbers of children taken into care due to 'toxic climate' say unions

Independent Councillor Andrew Pope is quoted in both articles, saying:

"After many years, there continue to be very serious problems with the council's Children's Services. Neither the Conservatives, nor Labour, have addressed these problems and children continue to be put at risk by the council's failures."

and

"Independent Redbridge ward representative Councillor Andrew Pope claimed the high staff turnover meant that increasing numbers of “inexperienced” social workers who are making “incorrect” assessments resulting in more children going into care. He said: “They still have issues with recruitment and retention. Something drastic has got to happen. They have to bring Ofsted back here.”

We have thanked the journalist Maxwell Kusi-Obodum for writing the articles and wished him well in his new job after leaving the Echo.

It was Councillor Pope who asked the Echo to cover this crisis in the safeguarding of children and families, after uncovering serious problems with the way Southampton City Council is failing to deal with child safety over a long period of time.

Councillor Pope was dealing with cases where families had come to him to complain of how the Council had failed to protect children and families. And when he raised these issues with officers of the Council, the response was appalling. That is, when he could actually get a response!

One family is quoted on the thousands of "Redbridge Rally" leaflets that Independents have delivered across Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush (above):

"This Council is a risk to children and their families. For months, officers of the Council ignored us. The child ended up in hospital. OFSTED need to come back! Andrew and Denise fought for us to better protect the child. Labour is failing families."

Councillor Pope and Independent campaigner Denise Wyatt consistently raised serious concerns about child safety in Southampton. But like this family, they were ignored or given misleading information.

Andrew and Denise tried to get an answer to the question as to why there was double the national average of "children looked after" in Southampton. Since 2015, answers have not been forthcoming from the Leader of the Council Labour Councillor Simon Letts, the Director of Children Services (now departed), senior social workers and the Labour Councillor Eamonn Keogh whose job is to scrutinise the Labour Council on children and families.

Yes, that's right, a Labour Councillor was appointed by the Labour Party to scrutinise a Labour Council - what a shameful conflict of interest! No wonder the Council is in such a state.

Councillor Pope even tried to get an answer at the November 2016 Full Council, from the Cabinet member responsible, Councillor Paul Lewzey. He avoided the question and gave no answer. This was in full view of the Daily Echo journalist Mr Kusi-Obodum, who was astounded at the lack of response - and subsequently wrote the second article mentioned above.

This Labour Council simply does not know why it has this Child Protection Crisis.

From the Daily Echo:

"Cllr Lewzey said that the legacy of the serious case reviews were that the authority and other family agencies were “better” at spotting children at risk needing to be taken into care."

Denise says:

"I was in tears when I heard this Labour Councillor had said such an upsetting thing.

It is shameful that in the Daily Echo this Labour Councillor and the Labour Council seek to blame Southampton's families instead of taking responsibility for their own failures and failing to address years of neglect by the Council."

Andrew says:

"OFSTED need to come back now!

The situation is grave. Child safety issues are amongst the most serious issues that a councillor and campaigners can deal with. We have a duty to protect children and families and to blow the whistle."

We have contacted OFSTED and asked them to come back to Southampton to reassess the Council.

The seriousness of the failures of Southampton City Council, whether under a Labour-run or Conservative-run Council, cannot be overstated.

If you have a child or a family that you feel is being put at risk, please get in touch and we will take the case up for you.

And when the time comes, please vote for more Independent councillors. Independents are the only councillors who put the people of Southampton first, not the political party and not covering up due to the failed two-party system of Labour or Tory.

Independents stand up for you. We will keep fighting for you.

Councillor Andrew Pope and Denise Wyatt

December 2016