Labour's Corruption in Southampton and Westminster - Andrew Pope's Statement

 

Redbridge ward anti-corruption candidate Andrew Pope, who is a member of the Independent Network and is Co-Founder of Southampton Independents, issues a Statement today on yesterday's vote at Parliament on referring Keir Starmer to the Privileges Committee: 

 

Andrew Pope when Independent Councillor 
Photo: Southampton Independents (CT)

"Yesterday, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer forced his MPs to defend his corruption when appointing Jeffrey Epstein's friend Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States of America.

Labour forced a 'three-line whip' onto its MPs, which means that if you defy the instruction, there will be consequences which could include expulsion. 

And like the party puppets they are, the two Southampton MPs Satvir Kaur and Darren Paffey went along with it. 

Both Kaur and Paffey voted against a Parliamentary inquiry by the Privileges Committee into Starmer. You can see the evidence from the BBC website below. 

 

Satvir Kaur MP Southampton Test MP Voted Against Investigating Her Boss Keir Starmer
Image: BBC

Darren Paffey Southampton Itchen MP Voted Against Investigating His Boss Keir Starmer
Image: BBC

 

EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT STARMER IS GUILTY OF CORRUPTION AND OF POOR JUDGEMENT, AND THAT HE IS VERY UNPOPULAR AND SHOULD RESIGN OR BE FORCED OUT BY LABOUR! 

Yet the Southampton Labour MPs still defend him. Why? Is it because their political careers depend on it? Yes it is. They put themselves and their careers ahead of principles.

While we focus on local action, as independents, we have to call this out as Southampton MPs being corrupt. They are now complicit in corruption at Westminster, as Satvir Kaur and Southampton Labour have been complicit in corruption here in Southampton by taking £10,000 from a convicted criminal who had been expelled from Labour two years before. And not providing any evidence they paid it back, although we asked them.

And we have to call this out because as independents, Southampton Independents as members of the Independent Network subscribe to the Martin Bell principles.

Martin Bell was a BBC journalist who was elected as an Independent MP when he stood for Parliament as an anti-corruption candidate, and beat the corrupt Tory Neil Hamilton who was found guilty of cash-for-questions in Parliament.

 

Independent Network Emblem

 

 

The Independent Network works under the same Bell principles, so we are best placed to call out Labour's corruption.

I am standing as the anti-corruption candidate in Redbridge ward on Southampton City Council.

I have already uncovered corruption by Labour here in Southampton, and will continue to do so.

If elected, I will have more powers to uncover corruption and hold Labour to account."

 

 

EXCLUSIVE: NO EVIDENCE Corrupt Southampton Labour Paid Criminal Money Back - we checked! Vote Labour Out!

 

 

Labour Is Corrupt As Well As Incompetent
Image: Southampton Independents

 

Southampton Labour MP Corruption 

In 2024, Southampton Test Labour MP Satvir Kaur took criminal money from convicted violent criminal Shere Sattar, as declared in her Parliamentary Register of Interests. Sattar had previously been expelled from the Labour Party after his conviction in 2022, but had stayed on as an Eastleigh Town Councillor for THREE YEARS, despite now being a criminal.

 

Satvir Kaur, Southampton Test Labour MP
Photo: Under Licence from UK Parliament

 

The £10k was also shown by us appearing in the Electoral Commission register of political donations.

 

Electoral Commission Database of Political Funding Showing Shere Sattar Money
Image: Southampton Independents

 

But there is no evidence that Kaur or Southampton Labour has paid it back, which is what they claimed to the Daily Echo. We asked her and them. No response was received. No evidence was provided from her or Southampton Labour. They have claimed to have paid it back though.

Do you believe them, without any evidence? 

This is the same Labour Party whose Prime Minister appointed Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the United States. Peter Mandelson is now under investigation by the Police, and had previously had to leave government in other scandals.

The same Labour Party. 

 

The Missing Evidence 

Yes - WE CHECKED IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE. There is no evidence Kaur, or Portsmouth Labour MPs Stephen Morgan or Amanda Martin, paid ANY of the criminal money back.

Neither is there any evidence that Central Labour HQ paid any of the £10,300 back - we checked with the Electoral Commission who said they had no requirement to be told, even if it was paid back!

As reported by The Times and Independent, the Shere Sattar criminal money totals £40,300. 

Seriously, we have looked everywhere and checked with everyone. 

 

WE CHECKED EVERYWHERE 

WE CHECKED with the Electoral Commission that regulates funding of political parties. Incredibly, they confirmed in writing that political parties can receive money from criminals. The law is set by MPs, mostly Labour and Tory MPs.

WE CHECKED with the three Labour MPs in Southampton and Portsmouth that accepted the money. We received no response and no evidence.

WE CHECKED with Shere Sattar, the former Eastleigh Labour councillor and convicted criminal who gave the money. We received no response.

WE CHECKED with Eastleigh Town Council's Town Clerk whether Sattar stayed on as councillor despite being convicted in 2022. He stayed on until May 2025 - THREE YEARS LATER. He served on committees and made decisions, as confirmed by the Clerk, DESPITE being a convicted criminal.

WE CHECKED with the Election Agent for Southampton Labour councillors, Councillor Christian Cox, who is Councillor for Millbrook ward. No evidence and no response.

WE CHECKED With Southampton Labour Council candidates and received no evidence and no response. 

We've also asked about Southampton Labour councillors' donations to the Labour Party, which appear to have stopped in recent years, according to records at the Electoral Commission. But have the councillors' donations actually stopped? We've asked Labour councillors and candidates, including the Leader of the Council and Leader of the Labour Group, who is Shirley councillor Alex Winning. Kaur was also a Shirley councillor.

 

Seriously, we have looked everywhere and checked with everyone.

There is NO EVIDENCE that any of the more than £40,000 that Labour took from Shere Sattar has been given back. 

The Electoral Commission confirmed directly to our enquiry that even if they had paid it back, the Commission is not obliged to be told, so there would be no record. 

 

Corruption Is The Only Word 

To take money from a convicted criminal cannot be called anything other than corruption. If you can think of a better description, get in touch. 

 

Do Not Vote Labour - Vote Independent! 

In the local Council elections, please do not vote Labour. In Redbridge ward, Vote for the anti-corruption candidate Andrew Pope Independent Network. Andrew is the only candidate who can beat Labour in Redbridge.

Everywhere else, either vote Independent or vote tactically against Labour.

It is First Past the Post, so please vote tactically to stop Labour and vote to remove as many Labour councillors as possible, and please do not vote any more in.

Vote Independent Network

EXCLUSIVE: CRIMINAL MONEY - Local Labour MPs Provide No Evidence of Paying £30,000 Back to CONVICTED CRIMINAL When We Asked - Corruption Is Out of Hand

 

Our Labour Highwayman Graphic That Labour Hates

Southampton Labour

We reported that Southampton Test Labour MP Satvir Kaur accepted £10,000 from convicted criminal and expelled Eastleigh Labour Town Councillor Shere Sattar.

 

Satvir Kaur, Southampton Labour MP for Southampton Test
Photo: UK Parliament under CC Licence

Kaur was asked to provide evidence that the £10,000 had been paid back.

No response has been received. We know that our email was received.

No evidence of paying the money back has been provided, despite being given over a fortnight to respond.

Portsmouth Labour

Stephen Morgan, Labour MP for Portsmouth South was also contacted. No evidence has been received and no response has been received. We know the email was received.

Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North was also contacted. Again, no evidence and no response. We know the email was received.

 

Regulator of Party Funding Confirms Criminals Can Give Money 

A reminder that we asked the Electoral Commission some questions about criminal money. They regulate party funding, but can only do so according to what Parliament and MPs decide what powers to give them and what resources and money to give them.

The Commission confirmed that political parties can accept money from criminals.

 

Broken Political System and Labour Councillors Repeatedly Bringing the Council Into Disrepute

Anti-corruption candidate for Redbridge ward on Southampton City Council, Andrew Pope, says:

Andrew Pope, Co-Founder of Southampton Independents
Photo: Southampton Independents (DW)

"As a member of the Independent Network, I subscribe to the Martin Bell principles. I have met Martin Bell via the Independent Network.

Martin Bell stood for Parliament against Tory and Cabinet Member Neil Hamilton and his wife when Hamilton was accused and then found guilty of corruption and bribery from the disgraced Mohamed Al-Fayed, in the cash-for-questions scandal. Fayed is now being accused of more crimes, although he is now dead.

And Martin won the seat as an independent.

I am investigating and exposing wrongdoing, and have been for a long time, whether I was in the Labour Party or after I quit Labour in disgust in 2015 because of Labour's wrongdoing to the people of Redbridge that I care about. 

I asked for investigations into Labour councillors when I was in the Labour Group. I was the Deputy Whip, but the Chief Whip Labour Councillor Cathie McEwing did not investigate disgraced Leader of the Council Richard Williams and did not investigate sacked Redbridge Ward Councillor Lee Whitbread when I raised complaints when still a Labour Councillor.

Neither did Southampton Labour officials - I told them though! And look what happened to both Williams and Whitbread! I also complained about Labour Councillor and former Tory Mike Denness, and he has just stood down after much controversy. I raised these complaints when in Labour, and when an Independent. And ever since.

Southampton Labour councillors have repeatedly brought the Council and the role of Councillor into disrepute. That's why I quit Labour to become an Independent. Eleven years later, I am still an Independent. 

And now, having brought the Council to its knees as Cabinet Member and Leader, Satvir Kaur is bringing the role of MP into disrepute. Her. the Portsmouth MPs and Central Labour Party HQ took £40,000 in total from Sattar. So far, no evidence of paying it back. They've been asked.

I campaigned for Southampton City Council to do criminal records checks (DBS) for councillors. It beggars belief that they stopped doing them. But still, two-thirds won't have been checked. It's wrong. How do we know that councillors themselves do not have a criminal record, or have obtained one while serving as a councillor? We don't.

The two party political system is broken. How can it be that criminals can donate to political parties and that it is not mandatory by law for DBS checks? Labour and Tory MPs decided the law for this and fixed the political system to favour them, instead of the people of our City. Labour have allowed it, and allowed the corruption to thrive."

 

RESIDENT ACTION: Labour Councillor Porkies and Bin Chaos - They Promised Weekly You Got Fortnightly (if at all)

 

Another MASSIVE Broken Labour Promise
Image: Southampton Independents

 

UPDATED (16/4/26):  Now with added ACTION. The Labour Leader of the Council, Shirley councillor Alex Winning (he's up for election on 7th May), does not seem to know who or when it was done.

RESIDENTS ACTION 

1. We supply email addresses to you for councillors and MPs who voted to cut your bins from weekly to fortnightly. 

2. Send them an email to ask them why they broke their promise "to keep weekly bin collections"! Just click the link to see their councillor page, and get their address to email them. 

 

A Pork Pie from Southampton
Image: Southampton Independents (AP)

3. Then contact us to tell us what the councillor or MP says, or if they even bother to reply.

4. You might need to do this very soon, as some of them might not be councillors for much longer as they might be voted out or may have already checked out (Mike Denness and Lee Whitbread, for example, as reported by us)! 

 

--- 

Letter to the Daily Echo 

A reminder: Labour councillors voted through cuts to bins but spent millions of YOUR CASH on "arts" at the scandalous Satvir Kaur's Arts Complex instead of the bins, a basic Council service that has failed time and again, while they put Council Tax up and up. Vote them out on 7th May.

 

Dear Editor,

I read with anger your report of:

Southampton fury as littering leaves high street as 'absolute dump'

https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/26012097.southampton-fury-littering-leaves-high-street-absolute-dump/

It isn't just Shirley High Street that is a mess, lots of Council land is also a mess. And it's Labour's failure and cuts that have caused it.

Both Labour councillors quoted - Cllr Savage and Cllr Winning - speak as if it was nothing to do with Labour bringing in fortnightly bins.

It was precisely to do with Labour - Labour councillors voted through fortnightly bins in February 2017. I was there in the Chamber and watched them do it. 

I spoke against it and voted against it as Independent Redbridge councillor. The other two independents from Coxford also voted against it.

Worse than that, Labour promised "to keep weekly bin collections". It was another broken promise.

The minutes show that Councillor Savage voted for it, as did current Labour councillors Blatchford, Bogle, Denness, Keogh, Letts, Noon, Payne, Rayment, Shields and Whitbread. That's a total of ELEVEN Labour councillors. 

Plus, who could forget, Satvir Kaur and Darren Paffey, now both Southampton Labour MPs.

So if Cllr Winning thinks it was 20 years ago. It wasn't. And if he thinks somehow his party didn't have anything to do with it. He's wrong.

All he needs to do is ask Cllr Letts, who was Leader of the Council at the time. Perhaps Winning and Letts are not on speaking terms?

Southampton people know what to do - vote Labour out. Enough is enough.

I enclose a link to the minutes online. Minutes of Feb 2017 Full Council: https://www.southampton.gov.uk/moderngov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=3274&Ver=4

Regards,

Andrew Pope

Former Redbridge Councillor and Candidate for Redbridge

Independent Network

Southampton Independents

Andrew Pope at Millbrook Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents (CT)

Andrew Pope Poster
Image: Southampton Independents

 

EXCLUSIVE: We Reveal Details of the £60 MILLION Balfour Beatty Highways Scandal and Labour-run Southampton Council's "Transparency" Report in Teeny Tiny Writing

 

Southampton Labour's Highways Deal is a Scandal

As reported by us, in 2024 Southampton Labour and Portsmouth Labour took money from a convicted violent criminal, a total of £30,000. Central Labour HQ also took another £10,000 bung. All despite the criminal being an Eastleigh Labour councillor and then being expelled from Labour in 2022.

We have reported on the Electoral Commission's statement that political parties CAN accept criminal money.

And Southampton Labour, and Portsmouth Labour, did. Not a nice thing to have in common between the two cities. They claim to have paid it back, but there is no evidence that they have. We've asked the Electoral Commission, who have confirmed this. Labour expect people to believe them. Do you? We don't.

 

Our Exclusive Investigations Done by Volunteers

1. We exclusively showed the Electoral Commission's data showing the acceptance by Satvir Kaur and Southampton Labour of £10k from a convicted criminal. No other local media did.

2. We exclusively revealed Satvir Kaur's (Southampton Test Labour MP and Junior Minister), Ministerial Register of Interests. No other local media did. At the time of writing, to our knowledge, no other national media did.

3. We exclusively revealed Kaur's connection with disgraced Labour Together MP Josh Simons, who paid private investigators to investigate journalists. He was her maternity cover and resigned. No other local media did. At the time of writing, to our knowledge, no other national media did.

4. We exclusively revealed Satvir Kaur's husband's job - Head of External Affairs for Persimmon Homes, and that she did not consistently report it when Southampton councillor. We reported this to the Head of Legal at the Council, who took no action. Kaur herself only put this on any Parliamentary register of interests when she became a Junior Minister (see above). We also found a photo of Kaur accepting a cheque from Persimmon Homes, outside the Arts Complex. No other local media did, and neither has any national media... yet.

 

Labour And Taxpayers Money 

So what are Labour like with handling YOUR money, your council tax money, your business rates and your national taxes redirected from Government?

Absolutely shocking, that is what residents say.

And Labour councillors do not want you to know. So they scheme to ensure that cover ups are preferred to investigations and transparency. Which brings us to number 5 on the list:

5. We have exclusively investigated and reported how Labour councillors are appointed by other Labour councillors to "scrutinise" those very same Labour councillors who sunk the finances of the Council - Satvir Kaur as Leader of the Council and Darren Paffey as Deputy, now both Labour MPs.

No other local media did. As Delia Smith once famously exclaimed: "Where are you?"

 

What is the State of Local Democracy in Southampton? 

You may ask why is it that the other local media are not investigating like we are.

You should ask them. We have it on good authority from a previous Local Democracy Reporter, that he was told "not to upset MPs".

Now, we reveal what "transparency" means to Southampton City Council.

 

The Scandal of the £60 MILLION Balfour Beatty Highways Contract 

A report hidden.

A report in teeny tiny writing that has to be zoomed into. 

 

Council "Transparency Report" In Actual Published Format
Image: Southampton Independents (AP)

 

Can you read it? Thought not! Why is it in such tiny writing? Ask the Labour-run Council!

If you zoom in a lot, to over 300%, you can see the following:

"SCC-SMS-0832
Southampton Highways Partnership (SHP)

The Southampton Highways Partnership (SHP) (utilising the SCAPE Civil Engineering Framework) commenced on 1st October 2025 for a 5-year contract term with no extension provisions.  The ìContractorî under the SHP is Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering (BBCE) acting as agent of Balfour Beatty Group Limited. The operational delivery of the contract continues to be undertaken by BBLP as a subcontractor to BBCE acting as agent of Balfour Beatty Group Limited.

Status  SuccessfulBidValue      EstimatedValue     StartDate    EndDate

Active     £60,000,000      £60,000,000     01/10/2025    30/09/2030"

 

The report shows the huge scandal of the £60 million offered to Balfour Beatty for the Highways Partnership.

A contract extension by Labour of a Tory contract that has failed our City for sixteen years.

A contract awarded with no press release by the Council - confirmed to us by a Council officer.

A contract that we had to find from third-hand reports by the trade, instead of fanfare by the Council.

A contract "scrutinised" (obviously not very well up to this point) in secret by party politician councillors, but mostly handled by officers under "delegated authority".

A contract without competitive tendering. 

A contract awarded by Southampton Labour councillors to Balfour Beatty, despite them being admitted blacklisters that used The Consulting Association blacklist. Balfour Beatty told Parliament that they had ceased using the blacklist.

And extended despite the Labour Council's own procurement rules preventing blacklisting. 

Those rules were amended to prevent blacklisting by our very own Councillor Andrew Pope, in 2014 - one year before he quit Labour in disgust because they were not meeting their promises to Southampton and his people in Redbridge.

This was a contract initially drawn up by Rob Harwood when he was a senior council officer in 2010 and 2017. One year later in 2018, he then became a Tory councillor. 

We asked him how he managed any perceived conflict of interest. He said our questions on this were "irrelevant" as did the Conservative Group Leader Councillor Peter Baillie. Baillie also praised the contract! Other Conservative councillors were copied into the questions. They said nothing.

 

Why Didn't the Local Media Report This? 

Did we offer this not-very-transparent "transparency" report to the Daily Echo and the Local Democracy Reporter Jason Lewis, funded by the BBC? Yes we did, as an exclusive. Nothing.

More on that another time.

Serious questions have to be asked about local democracy in Southampton - whether the local media is fit for purpose, and whether the political parties are any good or not. 

We know they're not. Not neither. It's all a bit too cosy and complacent. This is worrying for democracy in our City.

More on that too later.

 

Vote Andrew Pope Independent Network for Redbridge Ward 7th May 2026

   

Andrew Pope at Mansel Park and Millbrook Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents (CT)

Note: This article is also a page, as well as a post.

Former Redbridge Independent Councillor Andrew Pope has announced that he is standing in the 7th May 2026 local election.

Andrew says:

"It's so good to be back where I belong. I know the area very well and the people so well. And they know me. They are encouraging me to stand in Redbridge, because they've had enough of Labour and do not want Reform. So I'm doing this!

It was an absolute pleasure chatting with people and delivering my letters while I did my March the Month with Prostate Cancer UK in the area. I walked 341,000 steps, or 175 miles, over the month and have raised over £300 for the charity.

 

Andrew Pope at Five Acres Recreation Ground
Photo: Southampton Independents (CT)

  

People say that they've had enough of Labour and the Tories. I coined the phrase Labour or Tory, same old story. Now people say it back to me on the doorstep and in the streets.

They supported us independents before in their hundreds - almost a thousand votes last time we stood. 

 

We doubled our vote last time to 982 votes
Image: Southampton Independents (AP)

  

And as our team at the count knows, I did very well in Redbridge ward when I stood in the General Election and beat the other independent from Coxford.

This time we need to win and to get over the line. Together, we can do it!

With council tax being put up and up, residents do not feel that things have improved under Labour for the last 14 years and they definitely don't feel they get value for money from the Labour-run Council.

Constant bin chaos, dangerous roads and perilous pavements, financial mismanagement of public funds and three Labour MPs on the South Coast taking £30,000 from a convicted criminal, including Southampton's Satvir Kaur MP. The Labour Government has failed like the Tories before.

 

Labour have failed!
Image: Southampton Independents (AP)

 

And Labour has just sacked its own Redbridge councillor, Lee Whitbread, who was due to stand in May. I tried to warn Labour about him but they preferred to cover up than investigate him.

I am standing as the anti-corruption candidate and subscribe to the Martin Bell Principles from the Independent Network.

Enough is enough. Just one seat needs to change for a positive future.

The last time we stood, we nearly beat Labour and got more votes than all the other parties put together - Tories, UKIP / Reform, Lib Dems and Greens. 

I am the only candidate that can beat Labour. This time you can help me to get over the line and represent you again.

Please Vote Andrew Pope Independent Network on 7th May." 

  

Vote Andrew Pope Independent Network
Putting You First
Image: Southampton Independents (AP)

Andrew Pope Won His Safe Standing Campaign for St Marys Stadium -
A Campaign Launched at MP3 Centre, Millbrook
Photo: Southampton Independents (AP)

Andrew Pope Safe Standing Launch at MP3 Millbrook
Photo: Southampton Independents (DW)

Andrew Pope at the MP3 Centre, Millbrook
Photo: Southampton Independents (CT)

It's OFFICIAL! Regulator Electoral Commission Tells Us That Political Parties CAN ACCEPT MONEY FROM CRIMINALS!

 

The Labour Highwayman That Southampton Labour Hates
Image: Southampton Independents

... and the Electoral Commission has no way of telling whether the political party has paid it back!

Yes, it's enormous.

Yes, it's shocking.

Yes, it's scandalous.

The Electoral Commission regulates the funding of political parties. 

Today, the Commission has responded to Andrew Pope's complaint about three Southampton and Portsmouth MPs accepting a total of £30,000 from a convicted violent criminal, Shere Sattar. And the central Labour Party also accepting £10,000 from the same man. 

We checked the Electoral Commission's database and the register of interests of the MPs:

• Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test
• Stephen Morgan, Labour MP for Portsmouth South
• Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North

The total of £40,000 was originally reported by the Times and Independent national newspapers. And locally, the Daily Echo. Labour says it has paid it back. But where is the public evidence? 

 

Andrew Pope Reacts 

Co-founder of Southampton Independents and member of the Independent Network Andrew Pope says:

 

Andrew Pope in Millbrook, Southampton
Photo: Southampton Independents

  

"I cannot believe what I have just been told by the Electoral Commission today. Please see below for their response in full.

Not only can political parties accept donations from CRIMINALS, the Electoral Commission has no way of telling whether the political party has paid it back, even when the party claims that it has!

The Labour Party has made such claims - WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE? The evidence is there of the criminal's money going into their campaigns, but there is no public evidence that they have paid it back.

Are we just supposed to believe them, when they had already expelled him from the Labour Party two years before? 

I don't. Do you?"

 

Andrew Pope's Complaint to the Electoral Commission 

"Satvir Kaur has been shown by her Parliamentary register of interests to have accepted £10,000 from convicted violent criminal and Eastleigh Labour Councillor Shere Sattar. Sattar was convicted in 2022. He was expelled by the Labour Party. Yet in 2024, Kaur accepted the £10,000. It is in the Electoral Commission's database of funding. There is no evidence that she has paid the money back. There is also no evidence that the central Labour Party HQ has paid their money back. And there is also no evidence that Stephen Morgan MP nor Amanda Martin MP have paid their money back to Sattar either. Please advise whether there is any evidence of any of the £40,000 has been paid back to the criminal Sattar."

 

Electoral Commission Response 

"Dear Andrew,

 

Thank you for contacting the Electoral Commission. 

 

Regarding donations, there is no restriction on donors with criminal records donating to politicians. So long as the donor is permissible, parties, candidates and elected officials are allowed to accept donations from them.

 

In terms of whether we would know if any of this money had been returned, if someone returns a permissible donation then they don't have to report it to us, and as such we cannot confirm either way whether any of the money would have been returned. The law only requires permissible donations that have been accepted over the set threshold (£11,180 but in some cases £2,230), and all impermissible donations (over £500) to be reported."

EXCLUSIVE: Southampton Labour MP Satvir Kaur's Ministerial Register of Interests and Link to Resigned Minister Josh Simons MP

 

Satvir Kaur, Junior Minster Keir Starmer's Government
and Labour MP for Soutampton Test
Photo: UK Parliament under licence

by Andrew Pope, Co-Founder of Southampton Independents and Somerset Independents

Andrew says: 

"We publish the following information in the public interest. It is unfortunate that this has to be done by voluntary and community journalism, as there has been no coverage by the BBC or Daily Echo, nor any other commercial outlet locally, to our knowledge. Not so far, at least. Perhaps they will up their game now."

We reported on Satvir Kaur's acceptance of £10k from convicted violent criminal Shere Sattar, and also a total of £30k more accepted by two Portsmouth Labour MPs and central Labour HQ. They claim to have given the money back to the criminal.

Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test, was appointed to Keir Starmer's Government in September 2025 as a Junior Minister, Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. In the Ministerial register, it states that she was on Maternity Leave until February 2026. 

Her cover, it says, was Josh Simons MP, appointed at the same time.

Before the 2024 General Election, Simons was seen as conducting a "purge" of the left-wing in Labour, as reported by the BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason. 

Simons recently resigned in February 2026, according to the Manchester Evening News, amid:

"claims that a think tank he ran before entering Government, paid a PR firm at least £30,000 to look into journalists"

In his first interview since resigning, Simons now claims in a BBC interview one month after his resignation, that he was "naive" in the scandal involving journalists and a think tank called Labour Together. The think tank has been criticised widely, over a considerable period of time, and again today.

Now that she is a Minister, Kaur is required to lodge an entry in the Ministerial register, a copy of which is below:

"Satvir Kaur MP, Parliamentary Secretary

The Minister is on maternity leave until 23 February 2026. Josh Simons MP is acting as maternity cover.

6. Any other relevant interests

Trade union memberships

• Member, UNISON

Previous employment/roles

• Leader, Cabinet Member and Local Councillor, Southampton City Council (2011-2024)

7. Relevant interests of spouse, partner or close family member

• The minister’s spouse/partner is Head of External Affairs at Persimmon Homes"

 

The entry confirms that Kaur's husband, former Southampton Tory councillor Ben Walker, is the Head of External Affairs at Persimmon Homes.

On a recent BBC South Politics programme, Kaur stated that she was "obsessed" with new forms of construction.

In January 2025, as reported by Construction News UK, Persimmon Homes announced:

"Persimmon Homes launches model home to trial new technology"

The BBC has been given the information in this article. 

EXCLUSIVE MP WATCH: Both Southampton Labour MPs Kaur and Paffey Voted to Whack Southampton Businesses with Higher Taxes

 

Satvir Kaur when Leader of the Council
Photo: Southampton Independents

You may not have realised it from the lack of coverage of the Labour MPs actions by local media, but both Darren Paffey (Southampton Itchen - East of the City) and Satvir Kaur (Southampton Test - West of the City) voted to increase taxes in the form of national insurance contributions (NICs) for employers. 

 

Councillor Darren Paffey when Deputy Leader of the Council
Photo: Southampton City Council

 

Southampton Independents is watching, and holding the MPs to account.  Satvir Kaur is now a Junior Minister in Keir Starmer's struggling Government. More on that below.

Critics of the NICs hikes have said:

"With employers shouldering more of the national insurance burden, the worry is they could simply pass these costs on to their employees.

“With a higher cost per head, we could also see some employers choosing to reduce other benefits such as wage increases or even pension contribution matching.”

This includes local businesses who have criticised the Labour Government's decision.

If you remember, Keir Starmer stood on a pledge to not increase taxes on "working people", without being clear on what that meant.

 

How Can Someone With This Finance Track Record Join the Government?

Kaur was Leader of the Council at the same time as Paffey was her Deputy Leader. She had previously not been able to answer questions from Independent Councillor Andrew Pope on the financing of the Arts Complex, during Full Council Questions to the Executive. The Chair of the meeting, the Mayor Labour Councillor Stephen Barnes-Andrews, prevented Cllr Pope from asking more questions of Kaur. The Mayor had abused his position for party-political purposes.

Kaur led the Council to its financial knees and was urged to resign. She also denied at the time that the Council was bankrupt when she was Leader. And she claimed that she was being "open and honest" about the Budget for that year - implying that her predecessors, including Steve Leggett and before him Simon Letts, had not been honest in previous years.

She also said that the Council would not need government assistance. 

Kaur was also Leader in response to a dire financial report to the Council, according to the BBC:

"Last week the council warned the government it may run out of money this year.

The move came as a report revealed the council had relied on reserves to meet gaps in its budget in recent years.

Labour leader Satvir Kaur previously said the problem had been created by the government's handling of the economy."

and

"Ms Kaur blamed the Conservatives for "the economic disaster" she said every "household in Southampton and councils across the country are experiencing right now".

She previously said the authority had a "robust recovery plan" and would not need government funds."

It turned out that it needed a lot of government assistance, when Simon Letts took over the finances, with Lorna Fielker as Leader. Kaur had left a real mess.

Satvir Kaur is now a Junior Minister in Keir Starmer's Government (yes. really). She has mentioned a "robust recovery plan" again - this time in relation to the disastrous civil service pension scheme that has been given to Capita. One hopes civil servants won't be subjected to the same level of disaster of the Council's finances in Kaur's hands, although it beggars belief that Capita have taken over the pensions. Capita were removed from handling Southampton City Council work.

And now, she claims the council was pushed to the "brink". Paffey and Kaur have "welcomed" a "council funding boost", without commenting on the remaining crisis at the Council.

 

Satvir Kaur's Revisionism and Careerism

So it seems if she is to be believed, that the Council was on the brink, as long as Kaur was out of the picture and according to her, not responsible for it. Yet she was responsible, the buck stopped with her as Leader.

Paffey and Kaur also this week voted with their Labour MP colleagues, and against amendments from the House of Lords for the NIC hikes.

Who knows how the decision was made to add her to Starmer's Government?

How did Kaur get there? 

Let's not forget that Satvir Kaur had convicted violent criminal and expelled Labour Party Member Shere Sattar's £10,000 in her register of interests. Southampton Labour accepted his money, and only paid it back when they got found out.

How many other dodgy connections does Satvir Kaur have?

Have a look around our website for more. There's more about Kaur.

** Please note that the other Southampton MP for Romsey and Southampton North is a Deputy Speaker so is not able to vote on this NICs Bill.

 

 

Southampton MP Satvir Kaur Accepted £10,000 from Convicted Criminal and Eastleigh Labour Councillor Shere Sattar

Satvir Kaur Labour MP Southampton Test
Photo: UK Parliament under licence

UPDATE (18/4/26): We have offered Satvir Kaur the opportunity to provide evidence that her £10,000 has been paid back. No evidence has been provided in response to our request. No response has been received at all. We know that our email was received by her Parliamentary office.

--- 

The Independent and Times national newspapers have named Labour Southampton MP Satvir Kaur, and other Labour MPs, and the central Labour Party, in relation to receipt of £40,000 from convicted violent criminal and Labour Councillor Shere Sattar. 

The Independent: "Labour accepted £40k donations from criminal it kicked out of party"

"Labour has said it is returning more than £40,000 donated by a convicted criminal who the party had already expelled as a member.

 The donations came from businessman Abdul Sattar Shere-Mohammod, 55, known as Shere Sattar, who was convicted of actual bodily harm in 2022 and thrown out of Labour later that year. 

...  Mohammod also gave £10,000 to the local party of Southampton MP Satvir Kaur and £5,000 to Amanda Martin, another Portsmouth MP. Both declared the money in their parliamentary register of interests."

In an investigation that we published recently, we showed the entry in the Electoral Commission records that linked the political funds of Southampton Labour MP Satvir Kaur to convicted criminal Shere Sattar.

Now we present more information about the links between Shere Sattar and the Labour Party, and not just in Southampton. Some of it may be circumstantial evidence.

What remains a fact, as reported by national newspapers The Times and The Independent, is that Southampton Labour MP Satvir Kaur, and other Labour MPs, plus the central Labour Party, all received money from convicted criminal Shere Sattar, despite him being:

1. a convicted criminal
2. expelled from the Labour Party

In 2022, Sattar was convicted with two of his family members of assaulting a man at the Acorn Industrial Estate in Shirley Warren, Southampton. Sattar was sentenced in May 2022. Later, he was then expelled from the Labour Party.

Yet somehow, TWO YEARS LATER, Southampton Test Labour accepted TEN THOUSAND POUNDS from Sattar for Satvir Kaur's campaign, as shown below. The donation was stated in Satvir Kaur's register of interests as an MP. An extract is below:

"2. (a) Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation

Name of donor: Shere Sattar
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £10,000
Donor status: individual

(Registered 2 August 2024)"

 

The entry on the Electoral Commission website is below. 

 

Donation from Shere Sattar to Southampton Test Labour Party
Source: Electoral Commission

So was there any previous relationship between Satvir Kaur and Shere Sattar?

Firstly, they were both in the Labour Party, obviously.

We can go back further than when Sattar was convicted as a criminal with his family members. Why?

Because in 2016, shortly after the UK voted to leave the EU, Satvir Kaur was quoted in the Daily Echo in the same article with Shere Sattar. The headline on 30th June 2016, read:

"Muslim outdoor Eid prayer event cancelled due to far-right post-referendum protest".

This allegation was based on reports of demonstrations and counter-demonstrations. Neither report contained any evidence of any actual demonstration, and no such demonstration took place. 

Both reports did however contain facts that disproved what Kaur claimed about a supposed rise in "racism", because Police records disproved her claims.

Kaur was then a councillor and Cabinet Member of the Labour Administration of Southampton City Council. She held executive power of public funds, and made comments in the article that did not stand up to the facts, as stated by the Echo.

Sattar was involved with Eastleigh politics, and an Eastleigh Town Councillor. Sattar resigned as a Town Councillor in May 2025, according to the Town Clerk. 

Sattar was elected in an uncontested election on 5th May 2022, for Eastleigh (Cable) Ward. His trial finished on 12th April 2022. An uncontested election occurs without any actual vote. The document from Eastleigh Council is shown below.

 

Shere Sattar Uncontested Election
Source: Eastleigh Borough Council

 

Sattar was sentenced in May 2022 of the assault that took place in March 2021. He was sentenced and each of the three family members, according to Chris Yandell of the Daily Echo, they were: 

"handed a 12-month community order, including a requirement to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. They were each told to pay £300 costs and £500 compensation to their victim."

So Sattar stood for the Town Council either whilst, or after, being on trial. And definitely after committing the crime.

Sattar then held an event at Kuti's Brasserie in June 2022, celebrating said the Daily Echo as "Eastleigh elects one of the first British-Bangladeshi councillors".

This celebration was all hot air, it seems, just as the allegations about cancelling Muslim prayers was hot air. All seemed to be designed to puff Sattar's profile.

And despite his conviction, councillors had attended the event, according to the Echo, including Labour Councillor Matt Renyard. One wonders if they knew of his conviction. Matt Renyard has been contacted for comment, but at the time of writing, no response has been received.

Says The Independent: "Labour has said it is returning more than £40,000 donated by a convicted criminal who the party had already expelled as a member."

But what remains a fact is that Labour took money from a convicted criminal who had also been expelled from the Labour Party.