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."

THE RESULTS OF THE 2024 GENERAL ELECTION

 

 

We complete our coverage of the 2024 General Election with the results of the vote.

The turnout, being the number of votes, was down significantly in Southampton, and also nationally.

 

In Southampton Itchen, the result from Southampton City Council is:

BATHO, James Edward - Liberal Democrats - 2684
CLUNE, Declan Peter - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition - 264
CULLEY, Alex - Reform UK - 6853
KELLY, Neil McKinnon Lyon - Green Party - 2793
PAFFEY, Darren James - Labour Party - 15782 Elected
YANKSON, Sidney - The Conservative Party Candidate - 9677

In Southampton Test, the result is:

BARBOUR, Katherine Jane - Green Party - 3594
BURCOMBE-FILER, Ben - The Conservative Party Candidate - 6612
EDWARDS, John Peter - Reform UK - 5261
FRICKER, Maggie - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition - 366
GRAVATT, Thomas Stephen - Liberal Democrats - 3252
KAUR, Satvir - Labour Party - 15945 Elected
SHAUKAT, Wajahat - Workers Party - 775

In Romsey and Southampton North, the result from Test Valley Borough Council is:

BARRETT, Paul - Reform UK - 5,716 votes
COOPER, Geoff - Liberal Democrats - 17,702 votes
LAMBERT, Christie Marie - Labour Party - 4,640 votes
NOKES, Caroline Fiona Ellen - The Conservative Party Candidate - 19,893 votes Elected
SHAW, Connor Edward - Green Party - 1,893 votes
YAP, Fennie - Independent - 183 votes

Who Does Southampton Independents Endorse At The 2024 General Election?

 

Our Logo

Answer: Nobody.

Why?

Because we are impartial and have tried to make sure that our coverage of the Election has been impartial and fair.

We have tried to give equal treatment to all candidates, even when some have failed to co-operate with our questions, our requests for interview, or even to take up our fair offers of a right of reply when we have published information about them.

State of the Candidates - Who has co-operated with the Southampton Independents coverage?

Most importantly, the residents of Southampton. And 6 candidates in total - both Test and Itchen TUSC candidates, both Test and Itchen Reform UK candidates, one of the Conservative candidates in Southampton Test, and the Workers Party of Great Britain candidate in Southampton Test. You can click the links below to find out more and search the website for more too.

State of the Candidates - Who has not co-operated?

Unsurprisingly, almost all of the candidates of the Westminster parties. That is 7 in total - the Test and Itchen Greens refused to answer any questions and never took up an offer of a right of reply, both Test and Itchen Labour candidates did not respond to our questions, nor any request at all, and the Conservative Itchen candidate never responded to anything at all - not our questions, nor any request at all. You can click the links below to find out more about these unco-operative candidates and search the website for more too, including our investigations into them.

 

 

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

To say again, Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents.

Information about candidates is on the articles published over the campaign. You can use the Search. Or you can start here, or see below:

2024 General Election Candidates in Southampton

 

Which Constituency Am I In? Who Can I Vote For?

This will be on your poll card, which also tells you where you should vote. Remember that you need photo ID to vote now, since the Election Act 2022. We would send you to the Council advice on types of ID, but sadly at the time of writing, the Council website WAS DOWN (eve of polling day).

Council website DOWN Eve of Polling Day 3rd July 2024
Image: Southampton Independents

 

Luckily, the gov.uk site was not down and you can find out what ID is acceptable there. But if you don't have any of those forms of ID, you will not be able to vote. And if you did not register to vote in time, you also will not be able to vote.

You can find out which Constituency you are in by going to the Write To Them website here. 

Or if you know which constituency you are in:

In the Southampton Itchen Constituency, the candidates are listed here. It has been updated with the answers and non-answers from candidates. You can also search the site for articles on the candidates.

In the Southampton Test Constituency, the candidates are listed here. It has been updated with the answers and non-answers from candidates. You can also search the site for articles on the candidates.

In the Romsey and Southampton North Constituency, the candidates are listed here.

 

What's Your Choice for 4th July? 

You can choose to:

1. vote for one candidate by putting an X in one box only, or 
2. choose not to vote at all or 
3. choose to positively spoil your ballot by writing "none of the above". 

It's your choice.

We have provided this free public service for Southampton residents to better inform your choice.

We know that this service has been used, from our website statistics, and from what residents have told us.

Tell us what you think of our coverage, and our website. You can comment below, or you can contact us here.

 

"Unacceptable" Labour Stance on Trans Rights and "Women-only spaces" says Southampton Test Liberal Democrat Candidate Thomas Gravatt and Friend of "Pansexual" MP Moran

 

Mr Gravatt DID Have The Time
To Glad-Hand "Pansexual" Layla Moran
Former Lib Dem MP
Image: Thomas Gravatt Twitter Feed*

Councillor Thomas Gravatt of Swaythlijng ward has refused to answer questions asked by us on behalf of Southampton residents, apparently due to a lack of time. Today the Lib Dems Candidate for Southampton Test proclaimed via his Twitter feed:

"These comments from Keir Starmer are completely unacceptable.  We need to be handling this issue with compassion and understanding, not seeking to further marginalise a group that's already amongst the most vulnerable. 

Trans men are men and trans women are women. End of story."

Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Labout Party, was quoted in The Telegraph:

"Asked by The Times if trans women with gender recognition certificates have the right to enter women-only spaces, the Labour leader said: 'No. They don’t have that right'"

And the arguments about trans rights go on amongst some people. If you are so inclined, let us know what you think about it, although there does seem to be a very silent majority on the issue.

What Does This Say About The Lib Dems' Priorities?

It is interesting that Mr Gravatt does have the time for LGBT rights and so on and to pontificate on such matters.

As we've pointed out before, Gravatt did have time to glad-hand former Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran (pictured above). Moran was quoted by the BBC as saying she was "pansexual" (apparently it has nothing to do with cooking, or kitchens, although both things might be perceived as sexy) and said:

"Pansexuality, to me, means it doesn't matter about the physical attributions of the person you fall in love with, it's about the person themselves

It doesn't matter if they're a man or a woman or gender non-conforming, it doesn't matter if they identify as gay or not.

In the end, these are all things that don't matter - the thing that matters is the person, and that you love the person."

We think Mr Gravatt's time might be better spent answering the below questions that we asked him - they are listed below. But apparently, he did not have the time. 

More accurately, his priorities lie elsewhere, working outside the Southampton Test constituency for his pal Geoff Cooper and furthering his political career in the Liberal Democrats. If you thought political careerism was just for Labour and Tory, think again.

 

The Six Basic Questions We Asked All Candidates

1. Why are you standing in this General Election?
2. Why are you standing for the <insert party or independent here>?
3. What will you do in the first 100 days if elected?
4. What do you think are the best top 5 policies of your party?
5. What do you think are the top 5 issues that Southampton people want addressed, and what do you intend to do about them?
6. What track record do you have of winning campaigns?

SILENCE from Thomas Gravatt on the above important but really quite easy questions for any serious candidate to answer.

Here is how the Conservative candidate answered.

Here is how the Reform candidate answered.

Here is how the TUSC candidate answered.

State of The Candidates On Answering The Six Questions

The Labour candidate Satvir Kaur did not respond, and the Green candidate Katherine Barbour refused to answer, and the Workers Party of Great Britain candidate Wajahat Shaukat said that he would answer, once we eventually managed to track him down (contact details were not readily available). But dspite promises from him days ago, there are still no answers from him.

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice. 

The other candidates standing in Southampton Test are listed here.

Tell us what you think by getting in touch.

*As we have said before, if Mr Gravatt or his Liberal Democrat pals had provided us with a photo, we would have used it. But he refused to do that as well. If he would like us to remove this image, we will consider it, but we feel that it is in the public interest that it is published here.

 

Investigating Labour's Satvir Kaur: Southampton Test General Election Candidates Comment On Our Exclusive Investigation

Councillor Satvir Kaur (right) at the Arts Complex
"White Elephant" with a cheque written by Persimmon Homes
where her husband Ben Walker is Head of PR
Photo: Persimmon Homes Media Gallery

Southampton's General Election Candidates have been responding to the revelations in our exclusive investigation into Satvir Kaur, Labour's Southampton Test 2024 General Election Canddiate, who is a Labour Councillor. She was decision make as a Cabinet Member for a decade, and former Leader of Soutnampton City Council.  

Our investigation looked into Satvir Kaur's background, her track record on Southampton City Council and her associations and affiliations. We exposed inconsistencies and omissions in how she has declared interests when making decisions on public funds. And we showed what information seems to be missing and questions that arise.

The photo above is from Persimmon Homes Media Gallery, all freely and publicly available information. Details just might have escaped attention though. 

The photo shows Councillor Satvir Kaur (right) at the John Hansard Gallery, part of the Arts Complex "White Elephant", for which let's not forget she was responsible as a Cabinet Member on the Council and was not very good at answering questions when we asked about the finances.

The cheque is written by Persimmon Homes, where her husband Ben Walker is Head of Public Relations, according to Kaur's register of interests at Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The Persimmon media article is from 7th September 2022 when she was Leader of the Council. Satvir Kaur is quoted as follows (emphasis added):

"Cllr Satvir Kaur, Leader of Southampton City Council added:

“Southampton has a rich cultural offering but it is important that everyone in the city, regardless of background, has the opportunity to enjoy it. That is why the John Hansard Gallery summer school is such a brilliant project.

“I’m also delighted to see major companies continuing to support and invest in Southampton’s cultural sector. This is a further vote of confidence and I’d like to thank Persimmon for their support.” 

We asked all Southampton Test candidates, including Councillor Kaur herself, to comment. And also Persimmon Homes themselves, although perhaps that request went to Ben Walker, Satvir Kaur's husband? We do not know as they have not replied.

Reacting to the detail of our investigation, John Edwards, Reform UK Candidate and Satvir Kaur's opponent in Southampton Test, told us:

 

John Edwards, Reform UK
Photo: used with permission J Edwards

 

"Your investigation into Satvir Kaur. Wow. Now that is interesting.

Clearly the Labour candidate lacks the ability of the required leadership sorely needed by our city, that was clearly lacking in her time of being the council leader. Her damning admission that she didn't do 'financial stuff' really sums up the state of the Labour party, both locally and nationally. That is, the lack of depth on the political gene pool.

To have such a Labour MP to represent Test Constituency in Parliament only widens the gap between what Southampton needs, in order to promote and to boost the local economy and the damaging green policies that will be pursued by a Labour government, which many businesses and entrepreneurs fear."

 

Maggie Fricker, TUSC Candidate and another opponent of Satvir Kaur for Southampton Test said:

 

Maggie Fricker, TUSC
Photo: used with permission M Fricker

 

"I'm not interested in making personal attacks on any one."

(We did not ask her to make a personal attack. We asked her to comment on her opponent and the investigation.)

Ms Fricker also said:

"It's the record of this Labour administration in Southampton that we condemn. It's not about poor management of resources - the Tories are responsible for stealing over £500 million from the city by cutting our funding. The Labour group had a political choice - fight for our city or bend the knee to the bosses who want workers to pay for the crisis of their system."

We await responses from the other candidates. They have all been asked in exactly same way and at the exact same time. 

Isn't it useful to know that some candidates want to make comment and others avoid it? And still they cannot be bothered to act, even when their opponent is being scrutinised in the interests of democracy and accountability. And worse, they even fail to answer when we are doing investigative journalism in the interests of Southampton residents.

The worst examples are both Test and Itchen candidates for Labour (Satvir Kaur and Darren Paffey), Greens (Neil Kelly and Katherine Barbour) and Lib Dems (James Batho and Thomas Gravatt). All six have consistently ignored or actively refused to answer any questions from us. The other candiates have answered questions or commented during the General Election campaign.

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice.

The other candidates for Southampton Test, with their answers, are here. 

Is Reform UK A Climate Change-Denying Party? Here is what their candidates said...

 

John Edwards Reform UK Candidate
for Southampton Test
Photo: used with permission J Edwards

Reform UK have pledged to scrap the "net zero" targets, with their Leader Nigel Farage doing so in his interview with the BBC's Nick Robinson. Farage said that he was "not arguing the science". Reform have also pledged to bring immigration to "zero".

So if they pledge action on immigration, what are they pledging to do about climate change?

Or is a lot of "hype" as also mentioned by Nigel Farage? 

And do their candidates agree?

John Edwards, their Southampton Test candidate, said at a public event recently that:

"I think climate change is a bit of a hoax. It is a good excuse for governments to raise taxes. Tax you and me. Raise green levies."

Exercising his right of reply, Mr Edwards told us directly:

"I would go further to net zero and related subsidies [which] has costed the UK an estimated £2 trillion. Ditching this unaffordable mad eco policy would save the public sector up to £20 billion per year. With local services in a state of decay, this money would be better off being spent on maintaining and improving our services."

Meanwhile, in our exclusive interview with the Southampton Itchen Reform candidate, Alex Culley said when asked if Reform is a climate change-denying party:

Alex Culley Reform UK Candidate
for Southampton Itchen
Photo: used with permission A Culley

"I think you may have misunderstood that point, with the greatest of respect.

 At the beginning of our Contract, we say that climate change is a fact. The climate has always been changing since the dawn of time.

   Richard Tice made the analogy towards King Canute. Funnily enough we are sitting near Canute Road right now.

   Regardless of all this effort that we're putting in, to try and get what I call fractional gains in terms of limiting CO2 emissions. What we're saying is, we need to have an honest discussion about the cost-benefit analysis or the cost-benefits of some of the measures that we're undertaking.

    So I think in August last year, this is on the Internet so you can find it, there were about 1600 to 1900 scientists and professionals, two Nobel Prize winners included, who said look there is no 'climate emergency'."

Mr Culley was pressed further. You can read his full comments in our interview, with his views on Brexit, the death of the Conservative Party and more.

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice.

The other candidates for Southampton Itchen, with their answers, are here. 

The other candidates for Southampton Test, with their answers, are here. 

EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: Labour's Satvir Kaur - What You Need To Know About Her, The Council and Labour - Questions Require Answers

One of Satvir Kaur's Election Leaflets
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

Southampton residents will have received a lot of literature from General Election candidates. Because Labour now have more donations than the other parties, they are able to send even more literature out in so-called "targeted" campaigns. Money talks in British democracy.

Perhaps other literature does include information about the following omissions from the two leaflets seen in the Southampton Test constituency. But we haven't seen it. We are asking questions of the candidates that others are not. Why? Because we have the knowledge and motivation that they do not.

And because we put Southampton and its residents first. That's why we were founded.

We have already shown that there is a very minor mention of 13 years of Satvir Kaur being a councillor. No mention of a track record of success in her ward, nor wins as a Cabinet member nor success as Leader of the Council. Just one sentence.

So what else is missing from those two leaflets? Again, perhaps answers lie elsewhere. So we've asked Satvir Kaur, who has not replied to any of our requests for interview, to answer questions or offers of a right of reply. We also note that she has blocked us on Twitter / X. 

So much for democracy and accountability and standing up for Southampton, as she regularly claims.

Is Satvir Kaur furthering Southampton or herself? You can decide. But you should know the below.
 

What Is Omitted from Councillor Kaur's Literature?

No mention is made in either leaflet of the Council being brought to near bankruptcy under Councillor Kaur's leadership and Councillor Kaur calling claims that it was, a "lie", echoing what happened in Croydon under Labour. 

Worse, Councillor Kaur called it a "lie", despite the financial crisis being reported locally and nationally, and despite the Council's Chief Financial Officer reporting it in public to Full Council and all other councillors, and then resigning! 

Now the Council is having to rely on Government permission to flog off assets to pay day-to-day spending and make other cuts to spending. Former Leader of the Council, Councillor Simon Letts who lost his seat in 2018 and then two Parliamentary candidacies in Southampton Itchen, is back in charge of the public money. Why? How? That's how the Labour Party works, by recycling failed councillors who lose their seats. Party first, Southampton last.

No mention is made in the Labour literature of Councillor Kaur then resigning as Council Leader, effectively leaving the sinking ship. And then the Council's Chief Executive, who she chose, also resigning. So within the space of a year, Chief Exec, Chief Financial Officer and Leader, all gone.

No mention is made by the Labour literature of Councillor Kaur spending the tens of millions of pounds of public money squandered by Councillor Kaur and her Cabinet of Labour councillors (with Conservative support it must be added). 

Amongst much more profligate spending with the wrong priorities during a time of what must be said were significant Tory Government cuts, the Labour-run Council spent tens of millions of pounds on an Arts Complex (which was re-branded to Studio 144 to try to distract the bad media attention). This white elephant is located at Guildhall Square (see photo of Cllr Kaur receiving a cheque below). But the Arts Complex is just one example of the mismanagement of public money by Councillor Kaur and her "team" of Labour councillors.

As investigated and reported by Southampton Independents, the Labour-run Council's profligate spending was done when social care, education and roads continued to be broken - a story which Southampton Independents exposed and repeatedly gave to the Daily Echo and BBC and which they gave prominence to. 

Eventually, the then Leader of the Council Simon Letts (Kaur was in the Cabinet) lost his seat, after he told the Daily Echo's Rachel Adams (who we tipped off with the story) that he "didn't care" why it was overspent. Worryingly, Letts is in charge of Council spending again, and also the flogging off of Council assets to pay for day-to-day spending. Yes, really. 

 

Failed Councillors Now Parliamentary Candidates

The Council has recycled failed councillors, just like the Labour Party is putting them up as Parliamentary Candidates - Satvir Kaur in Southampton Test and Darren Paffey in Southampton Itchen.

More Questions Need Answering About Keir Starmer's Plans for Energy

No mention in Labour Councillor Satvir Kaur's literature of the failed energy company that Labour councillors signed up to with their mates at Nottingham City Council, Robin Hood Energy, which went bust. 

Does this local council policy remind you of the national policy promise mentioned on Councillor Kaur's leaflet with Keir Starmer promising Great British Energy?

National Government-owned energy versus local government-owned energy? 

Could it be an even bigger disaster than Robin Hood Energy? It's already been shown that Labour's own claims of saving people money do not add up.

Can Labour be trusted with your money? Not if Southampton, Croydon, Birmingham, Slough and many other council crises involving Labour are an indication.

Is this GB energy "no risk", as claimed by former Leader of Southampton Council Christopher Hammond, when challenged by Southampton Independent Councillor Andrew Pope. BBC journalists on Newscast have cast doubt on the detail of Labour's plans. Are those Westminster journalists aware of the local council crises involving Labour?

 

And What About Housing?

Affordable housing is mentioned in the literature. But no mention in the literature of what is shown (although again it is very vague) in Councillor Kaur's August 2023 Register of Interests at Southampton City Council. That Satvir Kaur's husband, Ben Walker, works for Persimmon Homes, a developer.

Yet two separate documents do not tally, despite both being completed by Satvir Kaur between May and August 2023.

 

Councillor Satvir Kaur Regsiter of Interests at Southampton City Council

yet under employment, nothing is mentioned. Why? Is this correct?

"So what" you might say.  

Here is another register of interests for Satvir Kaur, signed May 2023. This is for the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), in which she declares her leadership of the Council as employment and the employment of her husband. 

 

Satvir Kaur Interests at Solent LEP
Image: Southampton Independents

 

Why the difference between this May 2023 declaration of employment at the Solent LEP and the August 2023 City Council declaration of interests?

"So what" you might say, especially if you are, were, or might be, a Labour supporter?

Politicians Are Entitled To Privacy But There Also Exists Public Interest

Whilst public figures are entitled to privacy, it is in the public interest that any relationship between spouses is declared. That is why registers of interests are kept. 

It is an offence to not declare interests accurately, for a Councillor in a Council.

Is the Satvir Kaur register of interest accurate? 

We have asked Councillor Kaur.

Here is a photo of Councillor Kaur with a cheque, written by Persimmon. At the Arts Complex, no less!

Councillor Satvir Kaur with Cheque
from Persimmon Homes
Photo: Persimmon Homes LinkedIn

And in this report, there is a photo and report of Councillor Kaur at an event at St. Mary's Stadium, reported by the Daily Echo, with Ben Walker present and speaking in that role with Persimmon Homes. At the time, 29th June 2023, Councillor Kaur was Leader of the Council.

In the Business South report, Mr Walker is reported:

"Ben Walker, Head of External Affairs for Persimmon Homes talked about the Housing Manifesto that is currently being developed by Business South’s Housing Group"

 

What Are the Links Between Southampton City Councillors And Developers?

Also mentioned at the event is Matt Turpin, "Public Affairs Lead" at Vivid, a housing provider, who has repeatedly failed to be elected onto Southampton City Council as a Conservative candidate. 

What about other councillors or council candidates involved in development or advising developers?

Avid readers of the Southampton Independents' campaigning and investigatory work over the years may "vividly" remember that we targeted for investigation Mike Denness former Agent for Basingstoke Conservative MP Maria Miller. Denness suddenly joined the Labour Party and was selected and elected for the Millbrook ward when Labour Councillor Georgie Laming quit unexpectedly.

Andrew Pope exposed Councillor Denness in public during a Planning Committee in Councillor Denness' role as Chair of the Council's Planning Committee. Denness was in this role, despite the Labour Whip Councillor John Noon receiving complaints about it. And Denness having being a consultant for development companies that operated in Southampton. 

So we stood a Southampton Independents candidate against him in 2018. Denness lost his seat, losing by fewer votes than those gained by our candidate.

Labour has been recycling its failed councillors again, as it did for Simon Letts. Denness is now back on the Council in the Bevois ward, which Labour narrowly held onto in the 2024 local elections. The TUSC candidate came second with a huge vote for a TUSC candidate (they often get less than 100). 

A local Workers Party of Great Britain candidate, Wajahat Shaukat, is standing against Satvir Kaur for Southampton Test at the General Election. As reported exclusively by us, Mr Shaukat complained about the Churches Together hustings event in the Shirley ward that Satvir Kaur has represented since 2011.

So what are the links between Southampton councillors and candidates, developers, consultants to developers and the national Labour Party or Conservative Party? More investigation is needed, and urgently. We hope that it is not like in Bournemouth, dubbed "the most corruptible Council in Europe" by Transparency International UK in 2020. We offer the right of reply to those named.

We humbly ask other media outlets local and national to investigate this, as a matter of urgency.

It may be useful to note that Keir Starmer has repeatedly said that he would have to make "enemies" to get housing built.

There is no evidence that we have seen so far that Satvir Kaur and Ben Walker, or Keir Starmer, or anybody named above is breaking any laws or rules. But questions need to be answered. So we are asking.

Perhaps Satvir Kaur will continue to ignore us. That might not be terribly wise. She might want to ask Councillor Simon Letts, or ask Councillor Mike Denness, two of the subjects of our investigations and campaigns over the years.

 

The General Election

All of the above information may be of interest to those casting their votes this Thursday.

We provide this investigation as a free public service for the people of Southampton and in the interests of democracy.

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice. 

The other candidates standing in Southampton Test are listed here.

Tell us what you think by getting in touch. 

CORRECTION AND APOLOGY: Labour's Councillor Satvir Kaur 2024 Southampton Test General Election Candidate DOES MENTION the Council! ONCE!

Satvir Kaur Labour Councillor
Mentions Council ONCE in 10 pages!
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

We wrote that Labour Councillor Satvir Kaur, who is standing for Parliament at the 2024 General Election, did not mention the council or being a councillor once.

Not in two leaflets. Not at all. It could not be seen amongst a lot of words and copious photos.

Looking once more though, it turns out that it was mentioned. We stand corrected.

We apologise to Satvir Kaur and Keir Starmer's Labour Party.

In our defence, it is very hard to notice though. And we did ask Ms Kaur to show us if it was mentioned. She has not replied.

You would think that if Councillor Kaur had a proud record of achievements as a ward councillor in Shirley, as a Cabinet member for over a decade and short reign as Leader of the Council, that her record would be emblazoned across the leaflets.

But none of that is mentioned.

Being on the council at all is very hard to find, like a needle in a haystack. Just one sentence of many sentences amongst a lot of photos.

Yes, that's it. In ten pages on two documents delivered to Southampton Test residents, here it is, buried in the middle of a tri-fold leaflet of six pages, under "Why I'm Standing". 

 

Buried in a tri-fold leaflet
Photo: Southampton Independents

Just in case you can't make it out, it reads:

"I joined local politics and became council leader to make a difference for my neighbourhood."

That's it.

So while we apologise for the error, it must be noted that Councillor Kaur was given a right of reply. No reply was received, as was also the case when we asked her the same basic six questions that other candidates DID answer. You can see their answers here.

 

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice. 

The other candidates standing in Southampton Test are listed here.

Tell us what you think by getting in touch. 

EXCLUSIVE: Another Candidate Complains About "Degrading" Treatment by the Churches Together Hustings

Wajahat Shaukat
Workers Party of Great Britain
Candidate for Southampton Test
at the 2024 General Election
Photo: used with permission
Wajahat Shaukat

 

In our exclusive article, we revealed the history of how a Southampton Vicar has  excluded or threatened to exclude some General Election candidates from public events. 

This has most recently been from the "hustings" earlier this month in Shirley for the Southampton Test constituency in the West of our City. 

Reverend Dan Clark, the organiser, excluded the 2024 TUSC candidate Maggie Fricker from the Panel of candidates answering questions at the public meeting. If you click the link, you can see what Ms Fricker had to say in answer to our six basic questions that we sent to all candidates.

Now we can exclusively reveal that another candidate for Southampton Test has complained to the Rev Clark about how he was treated by the Churches Together organiser.

Wajahat Shaukat told us:

"It is disappointing to say the least to be at the receiving end of discriminatory actions furthermore to be labelled as a small party. Regardless of the size of the party such an opportunity should not have been offered if it was to be taken away in a degrading manner."

Mr Shaukat told us that he was originally invited to the hustings, only for the opportunity to be taken away, and that he had complained to Rev Clark. He told us that had to also consider child care arrangements, but would have taken part if the offer had not subsequently been taken away.

Residents may share his disappointment at what he called "discrimination" and "degrading" treatment.

Ben Burcombe-Filer, the Conservative Candidate for Southampton Test, who was at the hustings, did reply but declined to comment, saying:

 

Ben Burcombe-Filer

 

"I am afraid it has reached the point in the campaign where I really do not have the time to comment any further."

 

So it seems that if you believe the Green candidate Katherine Barbour, also a Christian, then:

 

"God decides when we die."

 

and it seems that when it comes to the Churches Together hustings in Shirley, that the Vicar decides which candidates can take part and which cannot. 

 

Many Sotonians will not agree that candidates should be silenced in this way.

Southampton Independents does not. We have given equal treatment to all candidates.

We have offered the Rev Clark the right of reply. He declined to comment further.

Offers were made for reply to Labour Candidate and Shirley Councillor and former Leader of the near-bankrupt City Council Satvir Kaur and Ms Barbour, but have received nothing further from either since.

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice. 

The other candidates standing in Southampton Test are listed here.

Tell us what you think by getting in touch. 

 

EXCLUSIVE: "God Decides When We Die" Says Green At Church Election Event - Who Decides To Exclude General Election Candidates? The Vicar?

 

The Vicar? Yes. Sadly in this case, this has actually happened. But the explanations for it, and the circumstances, are not too clear. So for the benefit of Sotonians, for fairness and for democracy, we've tried to find out, directly from those involved.

We are impartial and do not support any particular candidate.

The Vicar, Dan Clark, was the organiser at the Churches Together 2024 General Election hustings event where candidates were asked questions by the public. It was held by Churches Together at St. James' Church by the Park in Shirley. 

The Vicar excluded two candidates. So the public could not ask them questions. You may ask why and for what reasons? Please read on...

Green Candidate Speaks on Assisted Dying

At that hustings, the Green candidate for Southampton Test, who we understand is a Christian, when asked about assisted dying, said:

"God decides when we die.".

Readers will be pleased to know that "God" doesn't decide how Southampton Independents conducts our investigations, or how we treat candidates fairly and impartially. But we do these things anyway.

Did "God"'s representative for Churches Together decide who could be asked questions at the hustings? Read on...

Candidate Complains

Ms Barbour's rival, Maggie Fricker, is the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition Candidate for Southampton Test at the 2024 General Election. Unlike Ms Barbour, she answered our questions about the election. Ms Barbour refused to answer any questions. Despite this snub of Southampton residents, we have given her the right of reply to this article.

Maggie Fricker
TUSC Candidate for Southampton Test
at the 2024 General Election
Photo: Used with permission M Fricker

Ms Fricker has complained, as reported by Jason Lewis of the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), about her treatment at the hustings event in Shirley.

Shirley, the location is a coincidence (geddit?). [As Airplane's Frank Drebin said, "don't call me Shirley".].

Yet surely enough, Shirley happens to be the exact same Council ward that the Labour Candidate Satvir Kaur has represented since 2011.  Maybe "God" meant it? Or it was just a coincidence?

Amongst other questions answered by Councillor Kaur at the event was assisted dying, a highly emotive and controversial topic. You've seen some of what the Green had to say on this highly emotive, complex and controversial topic. Other candidates answered two, as in the LDRS report.

Other topics were also covered by the four other candidates that were allowed to answer questions by the Reverend Clark.

Vicar Excludes Two Candidates From Hustings

But not the TUSC candidate Ms Fricker, and not the Workers Party of Great Britain candidate, Wajahat Shaukat. 

Instead, she was asked to read a short statement, but not participate like the others were allowed to, on the Panel.

She protested, saying:

“As a shop steward and a working class woman, I do have some experience of middle class men not respecting my right to speak.”

Have other candidates experienced similar treatment by Churches Together and Dan Clark? Yes. Our own candidate Andrew Pope did before the 2017 General Election.

What Happened at the 2017 General Election?

When Southampton Independents stood Mr Pope as its candidate in 2017, he sat on the panel at the hustings organised by Churches Together. But not without a great deal of anxiety of exclusion by the same organiser.

Andrew Pope speaking to BBC in 2017
when a councilor on Southampton City Council
Image: Southampton Independents

Leading up to the event, Mr Pope's Election Agent had to ask and ask again, and chase, for Mr Clark to confirm that the Southampton Independents candidate would be on the Panel. The Reverend had seemed evasive over an extended period of time. Standing for Parliament is a busy and stressful time, and candidates are volunteers after all.

Doubt was cast on this by Mr Clark over a continued period of time, who claimed that it was depending on the number of candidates and the delay in response had been because he was away. Yet Mr Pope's involvement was in doubt.

No mention was made in 2017 on the polls, like it has been recently given as the reason by Mr Clark for exclusing the two candidates the 2024 event. 

Different reasons were given between 2024 and 2017. In 2017, it turned out that 5 candidates were nominated, so Mr Pope was "allowed" to take part, having been in doubt about being excluded. 

 

The Law and Regulator

Both of the reasons given by the Reverend Clark for potential exclusion in 2017 and actual exclusion in 2024, may or may not be deemed "impartial" by the Regulator of hustings, the Electoral Commission. Since the 2017 election, the Elections Act 2022 has been passed by Parliament.

Churches Together provides guidance to those organising hustings. 

Has Mr Clark followed it? Was the guidance clear or accurate? We have asked him.

At the 2017 hustings, there were five candidates. At the 2024 hustings, there were five candidates on the Panel, but two were excluded according to one poll, claimed Mr Clark. 

In reality, according to the LDRS report, one could not attend, Wajahat Shaukat for the Workers Party of Great Britain, although as you will see, the reasons seem to not be clear or consistent. We have asked Mr Shaukat for comment.

The other candidate could attend (Ms Fricker) but was not allowed to sit on the Panel. So it would have only been six candidates instead of five.

 

Other Hustings Events in Southampton in 2024

The hustings at Oasis Academy Mayfield for Southampton Itchen candidates included all six candidates.

Yet Ms Fricker was still excluded from the 2024 Churches Together hustings. And the circumstances surrounding Mr Shaukat remain less than clear.

We have asked the Rev Clark to respond and hoped that his response would not echo the Green candidate that "God" decides who can be asked questions.

The Vicar Responds

Rev Clark told us:

"Wajahat (the Workers party candidate in this election) would have come if he had been on the panel. It was only because he wasn’t on the panel that he thought it best to arrange for someone to speak on his behalf rather than organising childcare."

So the Rev Clark has confirmed that he had excluded Mr Shaukat.

Yet the Daily Echo article, taken from a syndicated piece written by Jason Lewis of the  LDRS, states that:

"The hustings at St James’ by the Park on Monday, June 24, featured a question time panel with the candidates from the five parties polling the highest – Conservative, Green, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Reform UK."

and

"Workers Party candidate Mr Shaukat was unable to attend the meeting due to childcare commitments, the vicar said."

Mr Shaukat has indicated that it was not that simple and he is composing a written response. We have also notified Mr Lewis, in case the Daily Echo piece has been modified from his original.

So which was it? Either? Or both? What was the sequence of decisions or rationale given to candidates? Was it impartial? Was the event to be non-selective, or selective? Were the reasons impartial?

 

The Rev Clark has tried to clarify:

 “Having organised successful Southampton Test hustings events in 2017 with all 5 candidates (including 2 independents) and one in 2019 with all 6 candidates (including 1 independent), the feedback from the audience in 2019 was that having as many as 6 candidates on the panel felt too much - it led to a lot of repetition, and meant that the audience weren’t able to hear as much from those they perceived to be the ‘main candidates’. It also meant we covered fewer topic questions. 

"Based on that feedback, I decided to limit the number of panellists this time to 5. I waited until after the nominations deadline had passed (so I knew for sure who was standing), then checked the polls. Because there were 7 candidates standing overall, I contacted the candidates of the 2 parties polling lowest and explained that they were welcome to bring literature for people to take, and were welcome to make a short speech in the final part of the evening to put their pitch, but would not be on the panel fielding the questions.”

 

We await a response from Mr Shaukat, the other candidate that was excluded from the hustings Panel, and a second response to further questions sent to the Rev Clark.

Meanwhile, our approach to covering the 2024 General Election is to be impartial and fair to all candidates, and to challenge them all as a free public service. Southampton residents value our service and we can see it in our website figures.

We offered Katherine Barbour the right of reply on her comments. Southampton Green Party's Media Officer declined to comment.

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice. 

The other candidates standing in Southampton Test are listed here. 

Tell us what you think by getting in touch. 

UPDATED (3/7/24): Conservatives Betting On The Election Date: We Ask Tory Candidates To Rule Themselves Out

Ben Burcombe-Filer
Tory Candidate for Southampton Test
Photo: used with permission B Burcombe-Filer*

 

UPDATED (3/7/234): It is late on the Eve of Polling Day. STILL no response!

Neither the Test nor the Itchen candidates ruled themselves out of betting on elections, although we waited for a week for them to respond to our request.

 

UPDATED (28/6/24): No response from Sidney Yankson. No response from Ben Burcombe-Filer. This is despite even more revelations about Tory betting and candidates (finally) being dropped by the Tories. And Labour is also now embroiled in the scandal too. How deep does the rabbit hole go?

Southampton Green Party, both of whose Southampton candidates refused to answer our six basic questions to all candidates, have also declined to comment on the betting scandal.

---

You may be aware of the ongoing investigations by the Gambling Commission into betting on the election date. The date was announced by Rishi Sunak, which is his prerogative as Prime Minister. It was a surprise date, a so-called "snap election" for which the date would normally be kept to a small group of people. 

The Prime Minister has failed to act to suspend candidates, even Tory candidate Craig Williams who has admitted publicly that he placed a bet. Mr Williams was also an "aide" to Rishi Sunak.

 

But then Mr Sunak, along with the former disgraced Prime Minster Boris Johnson, also in the Conservative Party, were fined for breaking Covid rules, while the rest of the country faced curbs on their freedoms and being banned from tending to their loved ones. 

 

Johnson went in shame but somehow Sunak survived and became Prime Minister, chosen despite losing the Conservatives leadership election to 44-day disgraced Prime Minister, Liz Truss. When Sunak resigned from Boris Johnson's Government, in his resignation letter, he said that he thought that:

 

"the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously. I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning"

 

Yet Sunak has been embroiled in scandal after scandal, just like his predecessors.

 

Yes, the Tories have lurched from one failed Prime Minister to another - Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss, and now Sunak. He is claiming that he has had success, but in The Sun TV debate with Keir Starmer, has also blamed his predecessors.

If the Tories are destroyed at the 2024 General Election, it seems reasonable that at least some voters will enjoy contributing to their demise. The betting scandal is like the disgraced sequence of failed premiers, and is just another in a long line of shameful events that are an insult to democracy. Five prime ministers from 2010 to 2024, with four of them, yes four! resigning!

 

Now it has become evident that the Commission is investigating even more Conservatives, be they candidates or party officers. Has Sunak made any difference to the Tory plight, not if the opinion polls are to be believed. Since he stopped giving away taxpayers money, his approval ratings have got worse and worse.

 

We Ask The Conservative Southampton Candidates About Betting

Until the identities of all those investigated are named, and it has not been the Gambling Commission that has revealed any names so far, the cloud of suspicion hangs over the Conservative Party and their candidates and officers. Questions arise:

 

1. Who knew?
2. What did they know?
3. When did they know it?

 

So we are trying to inform the voters in Southampton about the candidates here, as this may materially affect their vote.

In this vein, we have asked both Itchen Tory candidate Sidney Yankson and Test Tory candidate Ben Burcombe-Filer the following questions:

Will you state categorically that you did not place a bet on the Election date?

The Labour campaign co-ordinator Pat McFadden has called on the Gambling Commission to name those under investigation.

 

Do you agree with him?

On the local BBC Politics programme on 23rd June, Peter Henley asked Bournemouth candidate and former MP Tobias Ellwood about it. Mr Ellwood said that parliamentarians should be banned in future. 

 

Would you agree that it should be obvious to everyone that it should not be done anyway?

 

We await their responses.

 

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice.

* We would have shown a photo of Sidney Yankson, but he has never responded to our request for a photo, or to any of our questions. Perhaps he is spending more time in Kensington, or is planning to be there again on 5th July, despite claiming that since January he now lives in Southampton? Yes, we have asked him about that too.