Reform UK Councillors Quitting... So what Is Reform UK Actually Like... On the Inside? "Nightmarish"... Says Andrew Pope

Graph of Redbridge ward result, 2026 Southampton City Council
Image: Southampton Independents

 

 

At the 2026 local elections, and the Scottish and Welsh Parliament elections, Reform did very well, reflecting their consistent opinion poll ratings.

Reform councillors have been elected in Southampton and elsewhere, somewhat unexpectedly and surprisingly. And some are quitting almost as soon as they were elected. Here are some examples:

• BBC. 11th May 2026 (4 days after the election), "New Reform councillor quits after race post claims"
• BBC, 15th May 2026 (8 days after election), "New Reform councillor who made adult films quits"
• MSN, 14th May 2026 (7 days after election), "Councillor quits Reform over Holocaust 'hoax' post"

A Reform UK candidate - John Edwards - won the Redbridge ward where Andrew Pope stood as an Independent Network candidate for Southampton City Council. The graph above shows the result. Andrew was third, slightly behind Labour but way behind Reform.

So what are the Reform UK councillors, such as Edwards, who is also the Chair of Reform UK in Southamptno, actually like? 

And what is Reform UK actually like... on the inside?

We have inside information. Slightly old information, but inside information.

Briefly in 2024, for around two months, after the June General Election Co-Founder of Southampton Independents Andrew Pope was a member of Reform UK. He quit in absolute disgust very shortly after, in September 2024.

Andrew says: 

"After the recent local elections, some of my supporters have suggested to me that I join a political party. I've said no, because I know better than that. My experience of the parties is bad, very bad.

Political parties have tried to recruit me, on several occasions, ever since I quit Labour in 2015. I have been independent of the big political parties ever since 2015. Apart from two months. that is.

Having met a few of their people, I was impressed by some of them. After the 2024 General Election, I joined Reform UK to see what it was like on the inside, and to see whether it was full of racists, fascists and incompetents, as alleged by many.

It wasn't full of racists and fascists but some of the people I met, and the attitudes that I heard, were definitely racist and some were definitely fascist. I found this deeply disturbing and it confirmed my worst fears.

What I also found was a massive amount of incompetence and disorganisation.

And a cult. A cult of Nigel Farage and his love for Margaret Thatcher and her disastrous approach to changing our country that damaged so many millions of people's lives. And still does - just look at the impact of privatised water, privatised trains and buses, privatised gas, privatised roads, privatised electricity and more! The Tories would privatise their grannies. It's chaos!

So I believe now that is what Reform UK is really about - bringing back Thatcherism which did our country so much harm the first time. The new Hampshire Reform UK councillor that is their group leader, George Madgwick, has consistently broken employment law, as reported by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

I had hoped that I could help Reform UK to be a truly new force in Southampton, and that it could have a diversity of views on policy.

But I couldn't do that. Because it isn't. And it couldn't.

As another supporter of mine reminded me, Reform is an anagram of "former". Reform is just another bunch of Tories, as proved by the recruitment of so many ex-Tory MPs and councillors, and George Madgwick fits that mould too.

I was being over-optimistic and I even agreed with local members to be the Reform UK candidate in the 2024 Shirley ward council by-election. But they couldn't even get me through their national incompetent vetting process properly or in good time, through no fault of mine. What a blessing in disguise that was!

I failed their candidate vetting, which they rushed and got wrong. I was not given any reason. In fact, I had to put them under extreme pressure to get any reasons, which took them months to provide when I had to threaten to go to the Information Commissioner. They were incompetent.

But it was a relief and was irrelevant anyway that I failed the vetting because I had already quit when I saw their incompetence, and the racism and fascism of some of the Reform members. 

It was clear to me that they were so disorganised and incompetent, that I could not have solved it on my own. Like when I quit Labour and refused to be in the Council's Cabinet, I would have been one of the few competent people, surrounded by ineptitude.

All big political parties seem to be the same.

All riddled with corruption, as proved by the Greens' Zack Polanski failing to pay council tax and lying about voting, Reform UK's Nigel Farage failing to declare £5 MILLION, and local Southampton Labour MP Satvir Kaur taking £10,000 from a convicted criminal.

Perhaps Reform UK is different now, nearly two years later. But I doubt it.

Because what I saw was ugly, very ugly indeed.

Ugliness plus some racists, some fascists, Thatcherites, disorganisation and incompetence. 

That is what Reform UK was about then.

But like I say, maybe it is different now. Or maybe not.

Ever since 2015, I have been independent of the big political parties. Those nightmarish two months reminded me why I do not want to be a member of the big political parties and what Reform UK truly is.

I cannot see me ever joining a big political party again, unless things change massively.

Being independent is what many residents respect, and I agree with them."

 

EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION: AI Chatbot Conning Voters - Andrew Pope Uncovers Evidence of Misleading Southampton Election Information by an AI Chatbot

 

Andrew Pope Independent Network Candidate for Redbridge Ward

 

 

BREAKING: From intelligence given to him by voters when he was canvassing for votes and delivering leaflets to voters in the Redbridge ward election, Candidate Andrew Pope has confirmed that an AI Chatbot has been giving out misleading information about the Southampton City Council elections...

 

Andrew has reported it to the Returning Officer and to the Electoral Commission, for info and urgent action. He has provided the evidence that he confirmed by checking. And he has informed the Police's Operation Ford.

 

We urge you to cross-check the information you have received about the election. 

Please read our leaflets and letters delivered to your address. 

And the information on this website and on our social media. They all contain the truth and an imprint that shows that we are accountable for what we say and print.

 

The Dola AI chatbot in question is not accountable. 

The AI chatbot has made serious errors.

The AI chatbot has no imprint. 

There is nobody to complain to at Dola, it seems. 

AI chatbots seem to be able to intervene in these elections without any regulation whatsoever. 

 

Andrew says: 

 

 

 

"It's very, very concerning. I am furious about this - not just about my election, but also because I am a Computer Scientist and my business PopeyMon is a tech business. 

I am a Member of tbe British Computer Society and we have a Code of Conduct. Obviously those responsible don't have standards.

The regulators and authorities are not stopping the AI chatbots from spreading lies about the election. I've asked them to intervene firmly and urgently.

I am working very hard to get elected, and I know from my hard work that many voters are backing me and putting up election posters and boards, but voters are being misled by this so-called "AI".

It has to stop NOW, but postal voters have already cast their ballots with this misleading information out there. It's very worrying."

 

Contact us if you are not sure, or want to ask questions. 

 

Here is some of the fake news that Andrew found.

For Redbridge ward: 

 

AI ChatBot Fails to Give Accurate Information on Redbridge 2026 Candidates
for Southampton City Council

Image: Southampton Independents (AP) 

 

AI ChatBot FAIL 1. Andrew Pope's candidacy for the Independent Network is completely missing from the list.  

AI ChatBot FAIL 2. In the Redbridge ward that Andrew is standing in, it states that sacked Labour councillor Lee Whitbread is standing. 

As reported exclusively by Southampton Independents - weeks before other local media caught up - from information that Andrew obtained from various sources, Lee Whitbread was sacked by Labour. 

Another candidate was chosen by Labour, someone with no experience and no name recognition on the doorstep or in the area - again, as confirmed by us. They are not shown on the list.

AI ChatBot FAIL 3. When asked who the candidates are, it displays completely incorrect information and shows photos of some random people from the Internet.

 

For Bevois ward:  

AI Chatbot Giving Out Almost Totally Wrong Information on Election Candidates
in Southampton City Council elections 2026
Image: Southampton Independents (AP)

AI Chatbot FAIL 4. Only ONE of the candidates in the Bevois ward is correct. The rest have wrong names, wrong candidates or wrong parties, or candidates are missing. 

The AI Chatbot ALMOST COMPLETELY GETS IT WRONG. It is wrong in so many ways as to be totally untrustworthy.

 

We say again, there are strict laws and regulations around election communications, and so there should be.

Yet somehow an AI chatbot can turn up and put out fake and misleading information just days before the Southampton City Council elections. And the authorities have not stopped it.

We have told the Southampton Returning Officer and the Electoral Commission. And the Police's Operation Ford. 

How much will this affect the elections?

We ask people to check the sources of information and to check your sources. 

Our website contains quality information and an imprint, as does all of our election material and social media. 

We stick to the Independent Network's Martin Bell principles to keep local people informed and look after local people. The big parties look after themselves and Westminster. 

 

The OFFICIAL list of candidates for all wards is published by the Southampton Returning Officer Jillian Kay at Southampton City Council. It is at the link here. 

 

 

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."

 

EXCLUSIVE: No Checks on Whether Councillors Banned As Directors By Southampton City Council

 

We exclusively reported success in Andrew Pope's campaign to ensure that Southampton City Council conducted criminal records checks on councillors.

However, it was also confirmed during our questions to Council officers, that only those elected in May 2026 would be subject to DBS (Disclosures and Barring Service) checks.

We have confirmed with a spokesperson for the Council that those councillors already elected will not be DBS checked any time soon.

So TWO-THIRDS of councillors will STILL HAVE NO CHECKS.

What do you think of that? 

AND now we have confirmed directly with that spokesperson that no councillors are checked to see if they have been banned as company directors. 

Anti-corruption candidate for Redbridge ward Andrew Pope says: 

Andrew Pope

 "I was pleased to see the partial u-turn on DBS checks, after years with councillors not being subject to criminal records checks.

But there are too many holes in checks of Southampton councillors.

It's worrying, because councillors deal with all sorts of people, if they are doing their job properly.

And they make decisions over hundreds of millions of pounds of public money.

Don't you think they should all - all 51 councillors - have DBS checks with regular updates?

Don't you think they should have checks to see if they are banned as company directors?

I will continue my anti-corruption campaigning.

If elected, I will have more powers to get answers and bring accountability to the party politicians and those in the parties and the Council who want to cover them up, instead of bringing them to justice."

 

 

 

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.

 

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.

UPDATED: Southampton Labour Councillors Under Investigation

Southampton Labour's Wilting Rose

UPDATE (7th October 2017):

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope has submitted a formal complaint on Labour Councillor for Millbrook Mike Denness. 

A similar and related complaint was raised by Conservative Councillor Jeremy Moulton. The Independent Person investigating as an external investigator has been appointed.

We have substantial evidence going back to 2014 which supports Councillor Pope's complaint and the allegations made. Residents support our complaint, because they are very unhappy with Councillor Denness' conduct.

Councillor Pope also attended the Council's Planning and Rights of Way Panel on Tuesday, representing Redbridge residents against the Test Lane development. Neither of the two Labour councillors for Redbridge, McEwing and Whitbread, attended to stand up for Redbridge residents.

Despite attempts by Councillor Denness and the Legal Officer present to prevent him from speaking up, Andrew spoke up to say that because of the investigation into Councillor Denness, that Councillor Denness should not be chairing the Planning meeting. Andrew suggested that Labour and Tory councillors should propose a vote of no confidence in Councillor Denness. Sadly, they failed to do so.

Councillor Denness presided as Chair over the entire meeting, including the McDonald's at Woolston and the Test Lane development, which was not refused AGAIN for a FIFTH time.

Incredibly, two Cabinet members spoke on the McDonald's development without declaring an interest, since they had been involved in the Cabinet on the sale of the land at McDonald's. The Cabinet APPROVED THE SALE OF THE LAND.

Southampton Independents think that Labour councillors Warwick Payne and Councillor Christopher Hammond should be more open and transparent about their previous dealings with McDonald's. Do you agree with us?

Leader of Southampton Independents Denise Wyatt also spoke at the meeting against the Test Lane development. Denise urged the Labour and Tory councillors sitting on the PROW Panel that Councillor Denness be removed as Chair. As noted above, they refused to do so.

Denise has also asked for her Formal Complaint into the Leader of the Council, Labour Councillor Simon Letts, to be re-opened in the light of the complaints into Councillor Denness, who was relied upon to defend Councillor Letts.

Southampton Independents also understands that residents are considering submitting formal complaints into Councillor Denness.

Southampton Independents listens to residents. We take action for residents.

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BBC Radio Solent political reporter Hannah Bewley's Twitter feed said on Wednesday 20th September 2017 that Southampton Labour* Councillor for Millbrook Mike Denness is under investigation by Southampton City Council.

Mike Denness

He asked residents at a meeting about plans for Shirley store to send responses to his company freepost address.

— Hannah Bewley (@HannahBewley) September 20, 2017

The company's website shows the following information about Mike Denness, mentioning his councillor role:

"Mike brings a wealth of experience to Local Dialogue, furthered by his role as a local Councillor and Chair of a Planning Committee on the south coast."

Attempts by Conservative opposition councillor Jeremy Moulton to ask questions of Councillor Denness at yesterday's Full Council meeting of all councillors were stopped by the Mayor of the Council who chaired the meeting. The Mayor gave the reason given by the Council's Monitoring Officer Richard Ivory that an investigation was being conducted.

Councillor Moulton raised the complaint about Mike Denness.

Southampton Independents Councillor for Redbridge Andrew Pope said today, Thursday 21st September:

Councillor Andrew Pope

"I am not surprised that Mike Denness is under investigation. 

I raised concerns about Councillor Denness and conflicts of interest in Full Council in 2015, having previously taken those concerns to the Labour Group Whip Councillor John Noon and Labour Group Leader Councillor Simon Letts in 2014.  

I also raised concerns with the same Monitoring Officer (the Council's officer Richard Ivory) in 2015 and at a Planning Meeting chaired by Mike Denness.

Action was taken in 2014, but it didn't go far enough. And no action was taken when I raised those concerns repeatedly in 2015. 

Many residents have remarked to me that they believe it is wrong for a Chair of a Planning Committee to preside over decisions that could involve developers and organisations that Councillor Denness may know from his business contacts. 

This was especially the case in the highly controversial Test Lane development, which Southampton Independents fiercely resisted with local residents. 

The Labour Council and Labour-controlled Planning Committee that Councillor Denness chaired sold the land and gave planning permission on it. They ignored the concerns of Redbridge residents.

I understand from the Lidl public meeting that Councillor Denness used his business contact details for his councillor role. 

And I understand from local media contacts that Councillor Letts has already admonished Councillor Denness. 

Yet Councillor Letts sought to defend Councillor Denness in yesterday's Full Council meeting when questions were attempted to be asked. It seemed that the entire Labour Group of councillors wished to defend Councillor Denness too. 

They must be under pressure. I've seen this pressure put on councillors before, under former Councillor Williams** when I was a Labour Councillor. I resigned from Labour in 2015 and became an Independent because of the way Labour operates in Southampton.

It is right that Councillor Denness is under investigation.

When the Leader of Southampton Independents Denise Wyatt asked for Councillor Letts to be investigated by the same Monitoring Officer, Councillor Denness was heavily depended upon for Councillor Letts' defence.

Denise Wyatt will be asking for Councillor Letts' investigation to be re-opened in the light of the current investigation into Councillor Denness."

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Notes:

*Prior to joining Labour, Councillor Denness was a former long-term member of the Conservative Party and former agent for Basingstoke Conservative MP Maria Miller.

** These investigations into Labour councillors come four years after former Labour Leader of Southampton City Council Richard Williams resigned as Leader and as a councillor in 2013 following a lengthy investigation, and comments in the Daily Echo newspaper from his Deputy Leader Councillor Jacqui Rayment that "he probably wants to rule the world".

Councillor Rayment was cited in the same investigation as former Councillor Williams, but she did not resign.

Councillor Letts became the Leader after Richard Williams resigned, following a temporary appointment of Councillor Rayment as Leader.