Southampton Schools: The Uncomfortable Truth

Will Brexit fix schools?

We have written about the failures of the Tory Government to provide sufficient school funding, class sizes increasing and pressures being put on school budgets.

We have written about the failures of the Labour Council to provide sufficient school funding, and their removal of funding from schools that they had previously promised.

Sadly like many things, it's yet another case of Labour or Tory, same old story.

Southampton Independents try to be balanced, including in our criticism. We owe it to Southampton's parents and pupils to get to the bottom of the reasons for problems in our schools.

That's because Southampton's pupils deserve the best education possible.

Below is a graph of the number of Year R (Reception) places in Southampton from 2007 to 2016. The source of the data is Southampton City Council.

It shows that the number of places has increased by 46% during a decade.

How can school funding ever keep pace with this massive increase?

The Tories claim that they are putting in more money than ever. But it still isn't enough, because the number of pupils has increased so much.

Is it due to mass immigration?

Is it due to an increase in birth rates in our country?

Is it solely due to Eastern European immigration since 2004?

Labour failed to predict the numbers of migrants, failed to stem mass immigration, and then the Tories and Lib Dems also failed to deal with it. It's been going on for 13 years.

You can see in the graph that the number of "White British" pupils has increased, as well as those who are of "White Other" ethnicity.

If these figures from the Council are correct, it appears that the birth rate has increased overall and not just for Eastern European migrants. But the data could be inaccurate.

If it is accurate, you can see that the number of "White Other" pupils has increased by a massive 318%, whereas the number of "White British" pupils has increased by one-tenth of that, 27%. However, because the "White British" pupils are already a much larger group, there has still been a substantial increase of 432 pupils, whereas the increase of "White Other" has been fewer pupils, 296.

In any case, will Brexit mean that all of these children will leave the UK? It is unlikely. And people who are committed to our country should be able to stay.

A solution needs to be found. It is imperative that the constant and massive flow of new people into our country, so-called net migration, needs to be controlled and reduced. Our schools can't cope.

Labour's Wilted Rose

Andrew Pope, our candidate to be the next MP for Southampton Test, says:

"Immigration needs to be controlled if Southampton is going to get a grip on class sizes and the funding crisis. It isn't an opinion. It is a simple fact. 

All of this time, Alan Whitehead has been the Labour MP for Southampton Test. What has he done about it? Very little and if he has done anything, the schools are still struggling.

People tell us that it is time for Alan Whitehead to go. He has had plenty of opportunities to fix Southampton's schools. But he has flunked the examination over 20 years. Alan Whitehead even voted against Brexit. How is that going to fix our schools? 

The Tory candidate Paul Holmes says he was Cabinet Member for schools, back at the beginning of this decade. Did he fix the crisis? No. Where has he been since then? In London.

Please vote for me to replace Alan Whitehead and be your Southampton Independents MP. I will get to the bottom of the schools problems and fight effectively to sort them out."

We ask you to please Vote Andrew Pope Southampton Independents. He will listen to you. He will work for you. He will stand up for you on schools.

Southampton Residents Say Corbyn Should "Jog On!"

Southampton Independents Emblem

Southampton Independents is a local political party registered with the Electoral Commission. 

Independents across England put local people, not their party, first. We are proudly Independent of Labour and the Tories.

We were created because we listen to Southampton people, we work for local people and we stand up for local people.

Southampton Independents put you, your area and your family first.

With the 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 2017 Southampton Independents candidate for Southampton Test Councillor Andrew Pope represents the same ward on Southampton City Council.

Andrew Pope is also standing in the General Election against Alan Whitehead, Labour's candidate who has been the MP since 1997.

Andrew Pope said:

Andrew Pope

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

Southampton communities are left to pick up the pieces from Labour and Tory MPs making the wrong decisions in Westminster, because MPs are so out-of-touch.

This week's publicity stunt by Corbyn and Whitehead is Labour blaming the Tories and the Tories blaming Labour. People are fed up with it and want local people to be heard.

Like Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Council are out-of-touch.

Corbyn claims that Labour protects communities.

But the Labour Council are harming communities by making the wrong decisions on spending, closing care centres, removing funding from schools they had already promised, not fixing our roads, leaving children vulnerable and robbing £16 million from the City to spend on an Arts Complex. 

And THEN blaming the Tory Government instead of taking responsibility!

Mr Whitehead seems strangely silent on the Labour Council's failures. That's because he places the Labour Party before local people. In the 2015 General Election, he even claimed on his election leaflet that Labour was investing in our roads. They haven't done anywhere near enough. People complain to Southampton Independents all the time about the state of our roads.

Alan Whitehead has been the MP for 20 years and during that time, our roads have got worse and worse.

And why did Corbyn and Whitehead come to Millbrook to use it as a political platform? Because they haven't helped local people and they are only interested in getting their votes, not in listening to them properly.

Labour quotes figures for all of Hampshire which bear no relation to what is happening here in Southampton.

Residents of Redbridge agree that we have dealt together with local problems, and Southampton Independents have worked with the Police and the local community to combat bus violence, deal with anti-social behaviour with motorbikes and to help investigating other crime such as the recent fire at Redbridge Towers. Residents know that crime and anti-social behaviour have fallen because we have worked together.

Yet Corbyn and Whitehead invite the media to Millbrook to insult us all.

There are still problems in our City, but the people of Southampton work on them together, despite and in spite of meddling from MPs in London.

Like residents said to us after the visit, Corbyn and Whitehead should 'jog on' back to Westminster."

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"

Updated: Southampton's Roads Are A Disgrace!

Junction of Parkside Avenue and Brookwood Road during works
by Balfour Beatty and Southampton City Council

So many residents have told us that Southampton's roads are a disgrace.

Here is an example from Brookwood Road in Redbridge, where we expose how poorly the Council's partnership with Balfour Beatty is performing.

Residents of Brookwood Road have waited patiently for decades for their road to be sorted. We campaigned for it to happen - but the Labour-controlled Council have botched it.

This "partnership" between the Council and Balfour Beatty needs to be cancelled, because it is failing our City. Do you agree?

Tell us what you think of the roads and pavements in your area, and send us your photos.

We Independents will carry on campaigning for better roads in Southampton.

Independent Councillor for Redbridge, Andrew Pope, says:

"We have no doubt that the experience of residents of Brookwood Road and Parkside Avenue has been repeated across the City. 

Potholes are reported by residents, but Balfour Beatty tell them that they are not potholes and do not fix them! 

And THEN Balfour Beatty try to tell councillors that they are fixing "99%" of potholes, and that the partnership with the Council is working! 

This is not how residents see it. 

This is not how businesses see it. 

This is not how visitors to the City see it."

Do YOU want to see the Balfour Beatty contract cancelled?

Tell us - our contact details are here.

---

Updated (24th January 2016): It's now months later, and the works were apparently "completed". But residents know that the job was botched by the Council and Balfour Beatty. We have pushed for remedial works to be done.

Now we have been told that the works were due to start yesterday, 23rd January. Apprently a letter has been hand-delivered by the Council.

We have checked, and they did NOT start on time.

What a mess.

The Labour-controlled Council cannot even get that right.

Councillor Andrew Pope said:

"After agreeing with my requests to resurface Brookwood Road, the Labour-controlled Council refused to resurface Parkside Avenue. 

This was a stupid decision and since then – what a mess it’s been! 

The Labour-controlled Council and its “partner” Balfour Beatty made a real hash of the works, both to the road and to the pavements. 

And they did not bother to fix the many potholes at the junction of Brookwood and Parkside – despite our requests on your behalf. 

They need to listen to residents."

Independent campaigner Denise Wyatt said:

"Many residents contacted us, in person and by phone about how poorly the works were done, and the months over which residents were inconvenienced. 

We visited residents and discussed their concerns. 

We have pressured the Council and Balfour Beatty to fix their botched job. 

We pressured Council officers to review the works and take action. 

Our pressure has meant action. 

We expect the botched job to be rectified."

Tell us what you think of the roads and pavements in your area, and send us your photos. Our contact details are here.

We Independents will carry on campaigning for better roads in Southampton.

---

Independent Councillor Andrew Pope has been trying to get Brookwood Road and Parkside Avenue resurfaced for years.

Despite Andrew asking for it year after year, Labour-run Southampton City Council had not prioritised it until 2016.

That may seem good news.

But having waited for many years, many residents are extremely unhappy with the works that have been done so far, and the lack of planning of the works that remain unfinished. 

Residents have complained to the Council, and complained to Andrew and his colleague Independent campaigner Denise Wyatt.

Andrew says:

"People who have lived in Brookwood Road for decades have told us that they had never seen Brookwood Road resurfaced - and now they cannot believe how the Council and Balfour Beatty could have done such a bad job.

Other residents told us that only half of the pavement was going to be resurfaced. We've got the photographic evidence.

I have challenged officers of the Council and Balfour Beatty, to be told there was not enough money for the whole pavement to be done!

And I was told that Parkside Avenue would not be resurfaced. How can this be? Have they seen the state of it? It was done only a few years ago, but it is cracking up and the junction with Brookwood is a disgrace!

What a shambles!"  

Only half the pavement on one side of Brookwood is done - the other left

The pavement on the other side is all done - WHY THE CONTRAST?

Denise says:

"The works and the planning have been completely inadequate. 

The workers have admitted to us that they are embarrassed to be asked to do half of a pavement. Worse, they told us that it is quicker for them to do all of it!

How can the Council and Balfour Beatty conspire as "partners" to produce this utter shambles?

Are they true "partners" or in actual fact "partners in crime"?

Tell us about your nightmare roads! 

Why do you think Southampton City Council and Balfour Beatty are "partners in crime" when it comes to your roads?

UPDATE (29/10/24): Devolution Back From The Dead? Southampton and Portsmouth To Join? We need a Referendum!

 

Andrew Pope speaking for a Referendum
on BBC South Today

UPDATE (29/10/24): Is a Solent Devolution Deal back from the dead?

Below is an article from eight years ago. Former Leader of Hampshire County Council Roy Perry said that a stake needs to be driven into the heart of the Solent Devolution Deal.

It appeared to be dead. Yet we hear that like a vampire, it it rising out of the coffin. 

The Council leaders of Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight councils are having conversations behind closed doors about a new devolution deal in the Solent area.

Our position has not changed. Andrew Pope says:

"We demand a Referendum for Southampton residents, before any change to how we are governed.

I've written to the leaders of all three councils, asking for their positions, including on a Referendum and on an Elected Mayor.

So far, I've heard back from only one of them."

Stay tuned!

---

Do you want Southampton to join with Portsmouth? Yesterday's Daily Echo reported an amusing mistake on a French airport's view of Southampton and Portsmouth.

This is what Labour and Tory politicians want to happen. And they're doing it without involving the people who live in the two cities that are separated by twenty-odd miles and some would say, other things.

But so-called “English Devolution” has largely been conducted without the say of English citizens.

Locally here on the South Coast, the vast majority of people haven't even heard of the "Solent Devolution Deal".

Yet self-appointed "leaders" of Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council have carried it on, behind the scenes.

And a sham consultation is being conducted.

Thankfully, people on the Isle of Wight have fought back - forcing the Council to agree to a referendum on any deal.

But in Southampton and Portsmouth, the "leaders" haven't agreed to a referendum - yet.

Independents in Southampton, including Councillor Andrew Pope, have been pushing for one ever since devolution was mentioned.

And now Portsmouth campaigner Blair Breton has created two petitions to enable citizens to have their say, and not allow devolution to be about politicians stitching it up for other politicians. Already, over 200 people have signed up.

One petition is aimed at local councils and the other petition is aimed at Government.

This is a cross-party campaign, and a campaign for Independents too, because it is so important.

PLEASE SIGN BOTH PETITIONS!

The Government petition is located at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/165665

The Council petition is located at: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/solent-devolution-the-people-not-politicians-must-decide

You can also respond to the “consultations” here. Sadly their deadline is 18th September 2016, as it was decided to hold most of the "consultation" over the summer holidays - how odd? Some would suggest they don't really want to listen to you!

Brexit Must Halt Mass Immigration

During the EU Referendum campaign, we campaigned for Brexit.

We did this because we listened to the views of people across Hampshire.

They told us they wanted to vote for Brexit.

And they told us why:

"Immigration"

"too many immigrants"

"immigration is too much"

"we don't mind people coming here, but it is too many".

And they voted to Leave in their droves.

They turned up to vote, unlike in most local council elections where turnout is under half what it was in the EU Referendum.

They saw the effect of mass immigration on their daily lives.

For example, Southampton's schools have been impacted by an increased birth rate brought in largely due to mass immigration.

Southampton City Council had to expand the number of school places in 2012. I was at the Scrutiny meeting where councillors were asking questions about it. I particularly wanted to know whether there was any truth to the claim that immigration was putting pressure on the schools.

And the evidence that was provided by Council officers was clear.

Roll forward to 2016, and I asked Council officers for an update.

The pressure had not been alleviated and the percentage of school places taken by immigrants had gone up while school places taken by British nationals had gone down.

This should be no surprise - successive governments, whether Labour, Tory or Coalition, had failed to control mass immigration.

This is just one example - public services across local government and national government have been put under strain.

Brexit must halt mass immigration and the Government must control immigration to sustainable numbers.

That is what people voted for on 23rd June.

Now it is the Government's job to deliver.

Best wishes,
Councillor Andrew Pope

Latest: Yes, Labour HAS Betrayed Redbridge

The Field at the corner of Test Lane / Gover Road

The Labour Council has betrayed Redbridge

Towards the end of last week, we blogged that the Labour Council was about to finalise the deal for the Test Lane / Gover Road development.

We had asked to be updated by Council officers as soon as the planning permission was finalised. That didn't happen when it should have.

However, we have now confirmed that sadly the planning permission has been issued. It can be viewed here.

Residents we've heard from since this decision are rightly outraged and disgusted.

Local campaigner Denise Wyatt said:

"At last week's public meeting, residents raised so many concerns that have still not been addressed. 

Last week's public meeting at the Ship Inn, Old Redbridge

It is a disgrace that the Labour Council has ignored residents concerns, and has pressed on regardless."

Independent Councillor Andrew Pope said:

"Residents should never forget the answer to these three questions. 

Question 1. Who owns the Gover Road/Test Lane Field land?  

Question 2. Who gave planning permission to build 24-hour warehousing? 

Question 3. Who is selling the land to an offshore company? 

Answer: The Labour-controlled Southampton City Council!"

Following last week's public meeting and queries from Redbridge residents, Councillor Pope sent the following e-mail to Councillor Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport and Deputy Leader of the Council.

Cllr Rayment was the only Labour councillor to attend (the two Redbridge Labour councillors McEwing and Whitbread and the Labour Leader Simon Letts were all not there although they were invited by the Redbridge Residents Association):

"Councillor Rayment,

At last night's public meeting, you stated to the public and media present that it was too late for this development to be stopped.

Please forward the advice you relied upon, from which officer or councillor it came, and when this advice was provided."

 to which Councillor Rayment's reply was simply:

"No

Cllr Jacqui Rayment

Deputy Leader

Cabinet Member Environment & Transport"

This suggests that Cllr Rayment misled around 130 members of the public and the media present.

If she did mislead the public, this would not be the first time. In 2013, an Independent Investigation stated:

"In respect of Councillor Jacqui Rayment, the investigator found that she failed to comply with The Nolan Principles of Public Life relating to Openness and Honesty, and the guidance as to mutual respect and courtesy between members and Officers set out in the Council’s Member / Officer Protocol. "

As Deputy Leader, Cllr Rayment did not resign then. But Former Leader Richard Williams did, following similar criticism.

At the public meeting, as reported by the Daily Echo, Councillor Pope stopped short of calling for Cllr Rayment to resign.

But now Cllr Pope has been forced to Cllr Rayment asking her to resign for misleading the public, or for the Leader Councillor Simon Letts to sack her.


Denise and Andrew say:

"We fight for you. 

We are the only effective opposition in Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush. 

Labour, the Tories, the Lib Dems and UKIP have been absent in campaigning against Test Lane. And residents will never forget that it is a Labour Council that is doing this.

We stand up for you. 

We campaign on the issues that matter to local people. 

We put people before party politics. 

We will continue to fight for you. 

That is why we ask residents to join with us Independents in holding the Council to account."

Split Labour and Tory Parties Must Go

We Independents have posted on the problems of the Labour Party and the Conservative Party.

Both parties are outdated relics of the past Capitalist-Labour view of the world favoured by Jeremy Corbyn and other Marxists.

Both parties can't handle the modern world of politics, where the English people have delivered the verdict that the majority of MPs are out-of-touch with their constituents' views. The Brexit vote proved it.

Our outdated electoral system also needs to be overhauled.

Both Labour and Tories need to be replaced by Independents - which is pretty much what Southampton's neighbours on the Isle of Wight did, much to the surprise of Labour and Tories.

Why should they be replaced?

Because here in Southampton, no matter who has been "in control" of the Council, it is the people of Southampton that have suffered.

For example, just look at the latest project that is over time, over budget, and a hideous white elephant, the Arts Complex.

You don't have to look much further to find its predecessor, another white elephant, the Sea City Museum - both massive sinks for taxpayers money - YOUR money, whilst hundreds if not thousands of Council jobs and your public services are cut.

Maybe you wouldn't mind so much if you got a reduction in Council Tax, but despite all this waste and all these cuts, YOU PAY MORE COUNCIL TAX!

Southampton Labour is totally irresponsible as it is in chaos. As we've pointed out, the splits go down to City ward level, with councillor against councillor and member against member in their leadership battle.

BUT ALSO

the Southampton Tories are in chaos. Their local "opposition" to Labour has been found wanting. It's almost as if they didn't want to win control of the Council in the 2016 local elections!

Although the Tories bragged about how they were going to win control, they couldn't get rid of this failing Labour Council, hanging on by a majority of just two councillors.

Look at what happened when the Tories were last "in control" - strikes on the Itchen Bridge, bin bags rotting on the streets, social workers leaving the Council in their droves, vulnerable children and adults put at risk... and so on...

And despite being "in control" for four years, Labour hasn't fixed the vast majority of the problems facing Southampton City Council.

Would you agree that whether it's Labour or Tory - it's the same old story?

If you do, they should be replaced.

Meanwhile, the Labour in-fighting gets worse, even worse than we've already documented here...

Over the last day, we have learned that the Southampton Test Labour Party (for the west of Southampton), have backed Jeremy Corbyn to remain as Leader.

Last year, they were split on whether to back Jeremy Corbyn or Andy Burnham, who has subsequently given up wanting to become Leader and wants to become an elected Mayor instead of an MP.

The vote was 64 votes to 54 votes in favour of Corbyn. If this is repeated across the country, then Corbyn will remain Leader of the Labour Party - much to the dismay of Owen Smith supporters and the vast majority of Labour MPs.

Does this mean that Alan Whitehead, Southampton Test Labour MP, is at odds with his own Southampton Labour Party? He resigned from Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet as part of what is called the "Labour Coup", undermining Dear Leader Corbyn. Labour Council Leader Councillor Simon Letts also called for Corbyn to go.

Southampton residents must wonder whether Labour Party members in Southampton Test Labour Party will be holding a vote of no confidence in Alan Whitehead, as could happened with other Labour MPs like short-lived leadership challenger Angela Eagle in Wallasey?

Will Dr Whitehead be deselected as suggested by Comrade Corbyn?

Or will he just quit?

Next week, the Southampton Itchen Labour Party (for the East of Southampton), will vote on whether to back Jeremy Corbyn or Owen Smith to be the Labour Leader. Obviously they have no Labour MP as Rowenna Davis was defeated by Tory Royston Smith.

Davis was selected to follow long-time MP John Denham under Labour's "All Women Shortlist". The latter's Tory Party has no such rules, but despite this the Tories have now had two woman Prime Ministers, with the Labour Party having none. Since her defeat, Davis has all but disappeared from the Southampton political scene.

Now the rebel Labour MPs supporting Owen Smith are reported by the national papers including the Mirror and Telegraph to be so pessimistic about his chances of beating Jeremy Corbyn, that they are plotting to try to take the Labour name with them...

What a mess.

What a rabble.

As local residents have asked us many times...

Why is Labour in-fighting, when our City isn't being looked after by the Labour Council?

It's almost as bad with the Conservatives.

At least the Tories are pretending in public that they are united behind Theresa May. Let's see if the remain "united" if May doesn't deliver the Brexit that the English people voted for, and which the Eurosceptics in the Tory Party (who wanted Leadsom, Gove or Boris as Leader) will want.

If not, May will be toast and there will be another Tory leadership contest.

Both Labour and the Tories must go. Whether it's Labour or Tory, it's the same old story.

And our outdated electoral system, both at a local level and national level, needs an urgent overhaul to make it more democratic and more representative of the English people.

Meanwhile, we Independents will keep fighting on the issues that matter to you.

Update: Labour Splits Deepen

UPDATE (2nd August 2016): The Daily Echo reported on the Labour chaos yesterday here. They confirm much of what we had already said last week, and their report also shows the open fighting between factions of the Labour Party. We say it again - Labour should not be in-fighting. It should be standing up for our country and our City. But it isn't.

---

(26th July 2016): Here is an update from Denise to our letter published in the Echo recently.

Labour is in a deep crisis. Meanwhile Labour MPs like Alan Whitehead involved in the "coup" against Jeremy Corbyn are letting the country down and letting Southampton down.

And the Labour Council and Labour Councillors are letting the people of Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush down.

Remember too that the Tories are no better! Whether it's Labour or Tory, it's the same old story.

That's why we ask you to support Independents like us.

Independents focus on the issues that matter to you.

Party politics has no place in local councils.

Denise and Andrew

P.S. Update 26th July 2016 - The Labour splits and in-fighting get worse and even more funny. There is ANOTHER later letter showing even more splits - a new list of supporters of "Where's Wally?" Labour leader candidate Owen Smith. The councillors with their wards and Parliamentary constituencies (and hence Constituency Labour Parties) are:

Cllr Christopher Hammond (Woolston, Southampton Test)
Cllr Darren Paffey (Bargate, Southampton Itchen)
Cllr David Furnell (Millbrook, Southampton Test)
Cllr Hannah Coombs (Shirley, Southampton Test)
Cllr John Noon (Bargate, Southampton Itchen)
Cllr Sarah Bogle (Bargate, Southampton Itchen)
Cllr Sharon Mintoff (Swaythling, Romsey and Southampton North)

Where does this leave the Corbyn-supporting councillors like the Mayor, Councillor Cathie McEwing (Redbridge, Southampton Test)? And doesn't this put her at odds with anti-Corbyn letter signing, then not anti-Corbyn signing "comrade" Councillor Lee Whitbread (Redbridge, Southampton Test)? (see below for details)

The Labour Party is a joke from top to bottom!

It's the party members that we feel sorry for, and the communities across the country that Labour is letting down, especially in Southampton - see the rest of this website.

You couldn't make it up!

---

Firstly, the Echo printing of our letter suggested that both Andrew and I are councillors. I am not one - not yet. I would like to thank the people of Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush that did vote for me. 

Secondly, since we wrote to the Echo, the letter where Southampton Labour councillors call for Corbyn to go has been changed online.* (see first link below)

Names have been added by the compiler of the letter London Labour councillor Ed Davie. Names have been removed too. What a mess. Only Labour could be so inept.

For example, Redbridge Councillor Lee Whitbread now claims he didn't approve for his name to be used in calling for Corbyn to go. * (see second link below)

This is difficult to believe. Computers are deterministic machines that act according to the instructions of the user.

Perhaps Lee Whitbread and Labour councillors didn't know whether they have clicked a link or not? But the email was very clear. * (see the process in the second link below).

Or what changed his mind? Unite member Cllr Whitbread hasn't removed his name from last year's Huffington Post letter backing Liz Kendall for Leader - not Corbyn.

Now the list of proverbial knife-wielding councillors from Southampton is a not-so-magnificent seven not five - Hammond in Woolston, Furnell in Millbrook, Paffey, Bogle and Noon all in Bargate, Rayment in Bevois and Mintoff in Swaythling. 

Working for Corbyn against the treacherous seven is the Mayor, the other Redbridge Labour Councillor McEwing. That letter hasn't changed - but there's time!

Meanwhile there is silence on the leadership leanings of the rest of them - such as the normally very loud Shirley Labour Councillor Satvir Kaur.

Are they for Corbyn or against Corbyn? Or are they sitting on the fence? What a mess.

They should put the people of Southampton first by becoming Independents and protect the City from more Labour cuts to the vulnerable.

Who of them has the strength to stand up and be counted?

All the best,

Denise Wyatt

Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush Independents


http://labourlist.org/2016/06/over-500-councillors-tell-corbyn-time-to-step-down/

http://www.thecanary.co/2016/07/01/labour-councillors-plot-unseat-corbyn-backfires-spectacularly-video/

Yes - we STILL oppose the Test Lane Development

Andrew Pope and Denise Wyatt have opposed this proposed development for years. Above is just one headline they've helped to generate - this time on the front page. Other posts on this website prove this.

Commenting on the failure to actually build it, or to get final planning permission, Denise says:

"Thank you to all those people in Old Redbridge who voted for me in this year's Council elections.

You all know that Andrew and I have fought very hard against the Test Lane Development.

In contrast, the two Labour Redbridge councillors have been weak in their opposition or totally absent, and have been consistently compromised by the Labour Party and the Labour Council Leader Simon Letts who wants the money from the sale of the Council's land.

When I challenged him over the sale of the Council's land for the development, Simon Letts said in the Daily Echo in April that the Arts Complex was already paid for (see the article below).

Yet on Wednesday he went begging back to Full Council for approval to spend yet another £1.8m!*

So how are residents, already offended by his suggestion that they pay for a Judicial Review, expected to believe him?

They just don't believe this Labour Council.

They are failing and have the wrong priorities."

*Councillor Andrew Pope did not support the Council approving this money, and he is quoted in the Echo opposing it.

Labour Splits Not in Our Interests

Below is the original version of a letter published in the Southern Daily Echo on Friday 1st July 2016, pointing out that the Labour Party is letting down our country and our City.

Let us know what you think of it.

Andrew and Denise.

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Dear Editor,

In this time of national crisis, it is clear that both the national and the local Southampton Labour parties are split. 

Last year, the Echo reported they were split over supporting Corbyn as Labour Leader.

The Labour splits are worsening. And they are deepening.

Yesterday, Mayor and Redbridge Labour Councillor Cathie McEwing signed a public letter supporting Corbyn for Leader.

This is in stark contrast to the Council Leader, Simon Letts, who has called for Jeremy Corbyn to resign. 

And in a new letter today, Labour Councillors Paffey, Furnell, Noon, Whitbread and Mintoff have also publicly called for Corbyn to go.

Who else in the Labour Group of councillors wants Corbyn to stay? Who wants him to go? 

Why are they in-fighting now? 

Why are Labour MPs and councillors ignoring the votes of members that elect the Leader?

Not only is Labour split nationally and in Southampton, it's also split in the Redbridge ward. 

As well as signing the anti-Corbyn letter published today, the other Redbridge Councillor Lee Whitbread was one of a very small number of people who foolishly supported Liz Kendall for the leadership..

And in the EU Referendum debate in the Council, Mayor McEwing voted to Remain, but Cllr Whitbread didn't support either - his cowardly abstention was a total cop-out in a vote that was either Remain or Leave. He failed to represent Redbridge people. So Labour are split on the Brexit too!

We Independents rightly spoke up for Leave as we had listened to the people of Millbrook, Maybush and Redbridge.

Labour councillors proved they are out-of-touch with the Southampton public on Brexit by voting Remain, so it's no wonder they also can't agree on the way forward for their own party - or for our City.

And it's no wonder the Labour City Council can't do the basics - cutting the grass, mending the roads, fixing potholes, directing the traffic. They are too busy in-fighting.

As the Prime Minister said yesterday, it is not in the national interest. 

Neither is it in the interests of the people of Southampton, especially the people of Millbrook, Maybush and Redbridge.

Labour councillors and MPs should make up their minds - or like Andrew did a year ago, quit the Labour Party to protect the people of Southampton from more Labour cuts and more Labour shambles.

Councillor Andrew Pope and Denise Wyatt

Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush Independents

May 2016 Redbridge Election Result

Independent campaigner for Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush, Denise Wyatt, says:

"THANK YOU to all those who voted for me! With your help, we beat all the political parties in some areas, but not all. With your help, we can next time!"