UPDATED (22/12/22) - OPINION: Why Is Privately-Educated Rishi Sunak's Conservative Government Causing Chaos Across The Nation?

 

Rishi Sunak
(Source: HM Treasury)

UPDATE (22/12/22): Today's Mirror and Telegraph front pages have quite different headlines. 

Mirror 22nd Dec 2022
(Source: BBC News)

Telegraph 22nd Dec 2022
(Source: BBC News)

Having repeatedly said it is nothing to do with them and done by the supposedly "Independent" pay board, the Government appears to be offering a deal, according to the Tory-friendly Telegraph. Whereas the Labour-friendly Mirror front page tells quite a different story. 

Both have their own editorial narrative, which could be construed as misinformation or even (deliberate) disinformation or "fake news", depending on your point-of-view and the level of sourcing they provide to evidence their headlines. Neither of them are headlined - OPINION, though!

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by Andrew Pope, Master of Social Sciences (Global Politics and International Relations, Southampton University, 2010), small business owner, former postman, union representative and Labour and Independent Councillor and Parliamentary Candidate

 

Southampton Independents has investigated the claims of the Prime Minister and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak about his connections with Southampton, and with Southampton Football Club ("Saints"). 

We have published some of the results of those investigations. National media outlets have conducted investigations too and in a democracy worth anything, so they should be.

A Meteoric Rise of An Out-of-Touch Prime Minister in A Failed Government

Why have we done these investigations? Because it is relevant to Southampton, it is relevant to our democracy and because in Government, whether Chancellor or PM, Mr Sunak regularly mentions his family and his background in Southampton, including in attempted defences of his performance and of the Government. 

In a democracy, Member of Parliament (MPs), Ministers and Governments must be held to account. They are public figures that deserve some privacy. But where the line is drawn is an open question and the actions of the public figures themselves can drag the private into the public realm.

Mr Sunak tries to make out that he is in touch with the common man and the common woman, and has regularly used examples from Southampton. He is clearly not in touch, based on his actions and inaction, and it is more of the image-cleansing that we have already commented on. His rise has been described as meteoric. How and why that was requires examination, especially in the light of the image-cleansing that has accompanied his rise.

The revelations about Mr Sunak's wife's wealth and tax status prompted Mr Sunak to complain that his family was being unfairly targeted. Perhaps he had a point, if he himself did not drag matters out of the dark and into the light.

Yet Mr Sunak himself was quoted in the Daily Echo using his parents as a defence when under attack by the Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. Sunak said:

"Whenever he attacks me about where I went to school, he attacks the hard-working aspirations of millions of people in this country. He's attacking people like my parents."

 

Daily Echo, 1st Dec 2022

So Mr Sunak himself has politicised his own family. The personal has become the political by his own hand.

When a politician exercises rank hypocrisy like this, they are rightly open to criticism and to being derided, whether by public figures or the public at large.

And it has very real consequences for the citizens of our country.

Demagoguery and Damage

Saints legend Matt Le Tissier has derided Mr Sunak's claims that "Le Tiss" was his favourite player. Le Tissier said that he didn't care about it when interviewed (apparently) in Southampton on GB News by Nigel Farage. The Leader of the Conservative Group on Southampton City Council, Councillor Daniel Fitzhenry, appeared on the same programme. Cllr Fitzhenry got a hard time from Farage. 

Despite his own ill-advised public comments, the Saints legend Le Tissier received an ingratiating love-in from arch-demagogue Farage. You can draw your own conclusions as to why a populist like Farage would do this. And you can probably work out why the damage to Cllr Fitzhenry and "Local Conservatives" was engineered by Farage, even if it might be deserved.

Whomever in the local Conservative association thought that Fitzhenry's appearance was wise, might reconsider that decision. Perhaps it was Fitzhenry himself, having recently become Leader of the Conservatives again after being ousted by Marley Guthrie.

Out Of Touch With Working People

Mr Sunak attended private education. And he was filmed in the Southampton home of his parents saying that he had "no working class" friends. It does not take a genius to work out why, when he only attended private education, ending up at Winchester College after private schools, as reported by the Daily Echo. Michael (Lord) Ashcroft's book describes this.

An out-of-touch education leads to out-of-touch decisions. This has been the case throughout successive Labour or Conservative governments, going back decades in the case of the former and centuries for the latter.

Why is Mr Sunak's education and his lack of contact with the majority of the population of our country relevant? Because he makes decisions that are out-of-touch. I contend that it has been educated into him. And he has had a privileged upbringing and education that was ironically funded, at least in part, by the taxpayer via the NHS as both parents received NHS payments as GP and Pharmacist.

And the litany of industrial disputes facing our country show how out-of-touch he is with working people.

The chaos caused by the Conservatives is so bad that "advent calendars" of strikes have been produced for the entire month of December.

 

Royal Mail Strikes

Should the public sector workers, whether posties, nurses, railway staff or paramedics be blamed for wanting a fair pay settlement under sustained high inflation? 

No, when it is Rishi Sunak's actions and inaction that have caused the chaos in public services and the rampant inflation and cost-of-living crisis that workers face.

Mr Sunak is responsible, whether as Chancellor, as a member of the Government and now as Prime Minister.

And still Mr Sunak and his Government refuse to intervene, despite being the chief causes of the economic crash and resultant disputes over pay and conditions.

Why? How?

It is elected representatives that have to be held to account. That is what should happen. Indeed, if the United Kingdom is a democracy worth anything, that is what must happen.

Labour or Tory, Same Old Story

Like they did in the 1970s under Edward Heath, the Conservative Government will probably lose out due to these disputes. And they will lose the next General Election.

It is probably only a question of how much they will lose, not whether they will lose.

And that is what their failure deserves.

Whether a Labour Government will be any better...well, perhaps we should look at the 1970s again and the disastrous mismanagement of the economy by the last Labour Government under Gordon Brown. That is what led to the Tories gaining power.

And in the not-too-distant-future, a crackdown on workers' rights will result, whether under a Labour or Tory Government, making working people even worse off than they are already.

Labour or Tory, same old story...

UPDATED (22/12/22): CWU Responds and Small Business Responds - Royal Mail Dispute and Strikes: CEO Writes Open Letter To Customers

 

Royal Mail Industrial Dispute

UPDATE (22/12/22): We have now received a response from the CWU, "An open letter". It is on a new page, here.

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UPDATE (21/12/22): Despite repeated attempts to get a response, including repeated contact by phone and email, and having spoken to them on the picket line in Southampton, neither the Communication Workers Union national media or the local Wessex South Central branch of the CWU have provided a written statement regarding the dispute. We were promised, by the CWU rep on the picket line, a full copy of the below statement that was posted on the Delivery Office. Sadly, as more strikes loom prior to Christmas, the statement has not been received.

CWU Strikes at Royal Mail

Strike Day at Shirley Delivery Office, Southampton

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UPDATE (13/12/22): Royal Mail will be going on strike again tomorrow. At the beginning of last week, we asked the Federation of Small Businesses *FSB) to respond to the disruption and the strikes. Here is their official response, given exclusively to Andrew Pope by the FSB. Tina McKenzie, Policy and Advocacy Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said:

“We urge both sides to do their best to find a landing zone for compromise, in order to allow for a reliable postal service that small firms across the country rely on to serve their customers.

“It’s no secret that small businesses are facing difficult trading conditions, with consumer confidence near a current record low, and with many facing higher energy bills even once Government support has been factored in, as well as elevated costs in other areas.

“Disruption to postal services being added to the mix is not something that will be welcomed by small firms, especially during the festive period, when both receiving and sending out goods and products is crucial to margins.

“Small businesses would be well advised to plan ahead, to see if alternative methods of sending and receiving can be found. Customer communication will also be key – letting customers know as far in advance as possible when they should order by to avoid disappointment.”

Southampton Independents has still not received any response from the local branch of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) or the national media officer of the CWU. We have chased.

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UPDATE (9/12/22): Contacting the local CWU branch to offer them a Right of Reply was very difficult, as the contact details that they gave for multiple forms of contact were wrong. The email was wrong and their contact link was wrong, leading to a "404 error". Nevertheless, we have contacted the phone number they give out and left a message offering them a Right of Reply. To date, we have had no response from the Wessex South Central branch. Neither have we had a response from the national contact of the CWU.

ITV News is reporting that there will be a rally at Parliament today. They write:

"Royal Mail workers will stage a rally on Friday in their thousands, to mark another strike in the increasingly bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions."

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(8/12/22): The CEO of Royal Mail has written an open letter to residential customers and businesses. It is copied below, in full.

Southampton Independents acts for residents and businesses, while everybody else dithers and apportions blame, especially Labour and the Tories.

The Daily Echo has reported that Southampton Royal staff had been "told to prioritise parcels over letters", although the veracity of the claims made in the article, including the source of the photos, have been disputed. 

However, postal staff have confirmed to Southampton Independents that parcel services are being prioritised, and eBay have been telling their sellers that the Tracked 48 and Tracked 24 services are being prioritised during strike action.

eBay Royal Mail Postage Service

We have contacted the Federation of Small Businesses and asked them what they are doing to get resolution in the dispute. At the time of writing, we are still waiting for a response.

We have also contacted the Communications Workers Union locally and nationally to offer them a Right of Reply to the CEO's letter. While we wait for their reply, follow this link here to read what the union says on its website about the dispute.

The CWU confirm their strike dates on their website as:

"Friday 9^th December
Sunday 11^th December
Wednesday 14^th December
Thursday 15^th December
Friday 23^rd December
Saturday 24^th December"

And they have a set of Q & As on their site, for example:

"Why is the CWU in dispute with Royal Mail over pay?

Our Royal Mail members have had an unagreed 2 per cent pay deal imposed on them.

This is at a time when RPI inflation is currently running at 11.8 per cent and when Royal Mail has announced Group profits of £758 million and when the company is paying out many millions to private shareholders.

In a national strike ballot over pay, our Royal Mail members voted by a 97.6 per cent majority to take action."

Southampton Independents investigator, former postman and activist for the CWU, Andrew Pope, says:

"There are two sides in every industrial dispute. But enough is enough. This dispute must end now. Both sides must resolve the dispute. The Government must act to protect the economy. Members of Parliament must act to protect their constituents."

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From Royal Mail:

"An open letter to our customers
 

    
Dear <customer or business>,
 
At Royal Mail, we know this is the time of year when you rely on us most.

So we deeply regret that the Communication Workers Union (CWU) is planning further strikes on 9, 11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 December 2022.

Last week we delivered around 700,000 parcels during strike days and recovered service quickly. I want to thank personally more than 11,000 of our employees who came back to work during that last strike.

But the task gets more challenging as Christmas nears. So we’re asking customers to send Second Class mail by 12 December and First Class by 16 December 2022.

We’ll do everything we can to respond. And we're doing everything we can to settle this dispute.

Eight months of talks with the union. A pay offer of up to 9% over 18 months. But even before the strikes we were losing £1m a day. So we can only afford that offer if the union stops resisting the changes needed to deliver what you, our customers, ask for today.

You’re sending 60% fewer letters than you used to, and the number keeps on falling. You’re sending more parcels, which you want delivered quickly, including at weekends.

We’ve also listened carefully to our employees. Existing employees who aren’t required to work Sundays won’t be required to do so. And we’re introducing family-friendly options to help with our need for more afternoon working.

We are bringing in new recruits on different contracts, but their terms, conditions and pensions will still be the best in the industry. This is not the gig economy. We have a generous voluntary redundancy scheme and are NOT making compulsory redundancies.

We are the only people who deliver a universal one-price-goes-anywhere service to the whole United Kingdom, and we know how much you need us.

We urge the CWU to call off these damaging strikes. And we’ll do everything we can to deliver Christmas.

For everybody.
 
Yours sincerely,

Simon Thompson
CEO, Royal Mail"

On Mass Immigration and Our Economy, It's More Labour And Tory - And The Same Old Story

 

We Left The EU Didn't We?

 

According to the Government and Members of Parliament, the UK has "left" the EU. Have we noticed? What impact has it had on mass immigration? The Conservatives' version of "Brexit" does not seem to match what people voted for in 2016.

Before the 2016 EU Referendum, people were promised that the UK would "take back control" of our borders.

Yet statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the:

 "highest net migration since the Second World War and is far higher than pre-Brexit levels."

And it is the same old story with our economy as well as mass immigration, with Labour or Conservative governments "in control" (except they haven't been in control as it's been repeated failure and chaos):

• the cost of living has spiralled out of control, with people worried about heating their homes and paying for basics including food
  
• our economy has tanked after 12 years of mismanagement and chaos in Government by the Tories, who - let's not forget - took over from Labour's Gordon Brown who also tanked the economy
• massive strikes across the board, crippling our economy and with continued below-inflation pay increases
• mismanagement of our NHS and economy during the Pandemic
  
• threats of unemployment and a two-year long recession by the Bank of England

It doesn't seem to matter who is in Government, it is the people of Southampton who suffer.

Here is what the Southampton Independents candidate for Southampton Test at the 2017 General Election, Andrew Pope said at the time. 

 

Former Councillor Andrew Pope

 

Andrew was not elected, but he listened to what the people of Southampton said, and represented their views.

So what about the current MPs for Southampton? There are three.

1. Southampton Test has a Labour MP, Alan Whitehead. He voted against leaving the European Union. Has he acted to limit mass immigration?
   
2. Southampton Itchen has a Conservative MP, Royston Smith. What has he done to bring mass immigration under control?
3. Romsey and Southampton North has a Conservative MP, Caroline Noakes. What has she done to bring mass immigration under control, as a Government Minister?

Have these Labour and Tory MPs represented you?

They have not respected the vote at the 2016 EU Referendum.

These MPs and their Westminster parties have done very little to bring mass immigration under control. If they have done anything, it has not worked.

It's more Labour or Tory and the same old story.

Who do they represent? Because it does not seem to be the people of Southampton, or the views of the people of Southampton at Westminster.

These MPs put themselves and their parties first.

 

HAVE LABOUR LEARNED ANYTHING ON FIRE SAFETY?

The Daily Echo On Our Campaign

It seems not.

In 2017, we began a campaign on fire safety in Southampton City Council buildings. They didn't want to listen. Labour councillors didn't want to listen. 

Councillor Warwick Payne - responsible for housing - said that residents didn't want sprinklers. Our campaign continued. We forced them to install sprinklers in tower blocks.

We published the evidence of fire safety failings on our website. BBC Radio 5 Live's Adrian Goldberg spoke to Councillor Andrew Pope who showed him the failings. As shown in the video, a fire safety expert was appalled at what we found.

Five years later, have Labour learned anything? There are still serious fire safety concerns. 

And now, there are reports of incidents at Roundhill Close following concerns raised by residents about fire safety. Labour councillors are asleep at the wheel at the Council, and they are still putting residents at risk. 

 

 

The "Leader" of the Council, Labour Councillor Satvir Kaur was also Cabinet Member for Housing. She is responsible for the failings.

 

Meanwhile, the Council don't want to answer our questions on fire safety. We have a habit of getting answers though. 

 

INDEPENDENT REPORT CONFIRMS THAT SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL HAS BEEN RUN WRONGLY FOR YEARS

Labour or Tory, Same Old Story

We said Labour or Tory, same old story. And residents agreed. They still agree.

 

Now, this independent report from a council watchdog confirms it. The report was commissioned by the Council itself.

It is damning of how the Council has been run by Labour and Tory councillors.

Co-founder of Southampton Independents and former Independent Councillor Andrew Pope says:

Former Councillor Andrew Pope
on BBC South Today

"While Labour and Tory councillors bicker with each other, and incredibly with officers it seems, residents continue to suffer.
Meanwhile, the CEO Mike Harris rose through the ranks, having been involved in scandal after scandal that did down our City and its people, including:
- Kentish Road respite centre
- Oaklands swimming pool
- and the doomed Arts Complex over which I received nothing but excuses from Mr Harris when I asked questions of him and the previous Chief Financial Officer Mel Creighton.
Do residents really want this sort of stuff to continue? Then you need to act with other residents. Get in touch and we will help you."

Our contact details are here.

CAMPAIGN VICTORY! Andrew Pope Succeeds In His Campaign For Safe Standing at Southampton FC and St. Mary's Stadium

 

Daily Echo 10th August 2022
Our Campaign Win!

 

UPDATE (13/8/22): After 5 years campaigning, with our increased pressure on Southampton FC producing our victory, officers of Southampton FC have finally announced in public that they will be bringing safe standing in. It happened at the Fans Forum earlier this week. Saints' admission was in response to a question from Adam Blackmore of BBC Radio Solent. Southampton Independents had been in touch with BBC Radio Solent prior to Southampton FC's announcement, to inform them of our campaign victory.

Andrew Pope Demonstrating Rail Seats
At A Media Call He Organised in Southampton in 2018

We have great news. Another campaign win for Southampton Independents and Andrew Pope. We've won on Safe Standing at St. Mary's.

We have given the Daily Echo an exclusive on our 5 YEAR campaign for Safe Standing a St. Mary's Stadium. They write:

Daily Echo Website Late on 9/8/22

"The step forward for safe standing is a victory for former independent city councillor Andrew Pope who has been campaigning on the issue for five years. 

He says it would improve the atmosphere and matchday experience for both home and away fans.

Now, he's been contacted by Saints to say they are looking to 'adopt and embrace' safe standing."

Daily Echo 10th Aug 2022

 

Andrew, who is a former Southampton Independents councillor, said:

Andrew at St. Mary's in 2018

"I am delighted that after five years of leading the campaign for Safe Standing, that Southampton FC have finally confirmed to me that they will be doing a trial and that I will be consulted on the designs, which I understand are imminent.

I would like to thank Tim Greenwell of Southampton FC for listening to me on my concerns regarding fan safety and for confirming this trial, Jon Darch of the Rail Seats Roadshow and Ann Ramage of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.

I would also like to thank the Daily Echo for covering the full course of my campaign over the five years.

As for Southampton City Council, their responses to my Freedom of Information requests have been an embarrassment to our City. They denied the existence of the campaign, their own letter to Southampton FC and even that the Full Council meeting happened. I am considering complaining to the Information Commissioner's Office."

Southampton Independents listened to Saints fans.

Southampton Independents acted for Saints fans.

Labour and the Tories were nowhere to be seen. They do not listen to residents. They do not act for residents.

Southampton Independents does provide leadership. But it also listens to and works with Southampton residents.

Andrew adds:

"We've had it confirmed by the Council in their second FoI response to me - the Labour-run and Tory-run councils did nothing. That's not just my opinion. It is a fact proven by Southampton City Council officers. 

Just the one letter - in four years - was sent by the Council on safe standing. And that was ordered by the motion that I forced through the Council! 

The contents of the letter by former Labour Leader of the Council Christopher Hammond were very weak. He didn't bother to consult me before sending his letter form of limp lettuce. So I had to up the pressure.

And it is just as well that Saints fans did not rely on the "Executive taking the lead" as written to me by Labour Councillor Dave Shields after he and the other councillors majority voted for my motion. Because the FoI response PROVES he and successive Labour or Tory councils did nothing!

It's another campaign win for me and Southampton Independents, but most importantly, for Saints fans and Southampton residents. That's what Southampton Independents exists to do."

England versus Wales
St. Mary's Stadium

 

Southampton Itchen Conservative MP Royston Smith's Appalling Record on Climate Change

 

Southampton Itchen MP
Conservative Royston Smith
(Photo: Parliament)

"Royston Smith consistently voted against measures to prevent climate change"

Southampton Independents wants to see clear action from Southampton councillors and Southampton Members of Parliament. One of the MPs is Royston Smith, MP for Southampton Itchen in the East of our City.

According to independent analysis by TheyWorkForYou.com:

"Royston Smith consistently voted against measures to prevent climate change"

TheyWorkForYou shows that Royston Smith voted against dealing with climate change right from when he was first elected in 2015, and the last vote they tracked was in 2021.

Last year, the Daily Echo reported that Royston Smith "hit out as climate pressure rises", responding to an attack from Southampton Test Labour MP Alan Whitehead on the Conservatives' record on climate change:

"Tory MP for Southampton Itchen Royston Smith has claimed that the government has 'ambitious plans' to tackle climate change."

Andrew Pope, a former Southampton Independents councillor who stood against Alan Whitehead for Southampton Independents in the 2017 General Election, responds:

 

 

Andrew Pope Campaigner on Climate Change

 

"Royston Smith's record is appalling on climate change. It is proved by his voting record.

 

Alan Whitehead also attacked the Conservative-run Council. The Conservatives only had control of the Council for just one year in the last ten, since 2012. So if he is going to attack the Council for its lack of action, then it is Labour that has failed to act on climate change here in Southampton. And Alan Whitehead's time is up.

Labour prefers to pretend it is taking action, but when I campaigned for the Council to install solar panels on all of the Council housing, the Labour-run Council was not interested. 

 

Many of the climate change ideas of the former Labour Leader of the Council Richard Williams, were lost when he resigned in disgrace for misleading councillors, for misleading council officers and for misleading the public.

It's yet another case of Labour or Tory, same old story. Southampton Independents will fight to prevent the damage to wildlife, to Planet Earth and to humans, caused by the failure of successive Labour and Tory Governments to stop climate change."

 

 

Southampton Independents
Supporters in 2018

One of Our 2018 Campaigns on Environment

 

Southampton Independents Supporters
At The 2017 General Election

Residents Agree With Us: Labour or Tory, Same Old Story - On Roads And Many Other Things!

Labour Or Tory, Same Old Story

Residents agreed with us back in 2017 when we formed Southampton Independents and said:

"Labour or Tory, same old story".

Southampton Independents was formed because residents had got tired of the lack of progress at the City Council and that the Council was not working on the issues that mattered to local residents.

And they still agree with us when we say it now. They laugh, because it is true. 

Southampton Labour and Southampton Conservatives do not like it when we say it - in fact they get very rattled. Because it is true.

Labour councillors or Tory councillors say one thing when in opposition and then do exactly what they had criticised the other for doing, when they take control of the Council. 

Sadly, there are no longer any Independent councillors on the Council to keep them honest. Southampton Independents is trying to keep them honest. 

These Westminster parties will act desperately to cling on to power - not to help residents, but to help themselves and keep power for its own sake.

For example, Labour Councillor Satvir Kaur criticised 20mph when in Opposition. She said that the evidence shows that it doesn't work. But when Labour were in control of the Council, they brought in 20mph. From the Daily Echo:

"Leader for the opposition, Cllr Satvir Kaur said: 'We all are fed up with our streets being used as rat-runs. It’s why Labour introduced 20mph zones around the city in the first place.

But what matters is what actually works. And without the ability to enforce this properly, evidence shows this doesn’t work on its own."

Southampton Independents campaigner Andrew Pope - who was a councillor in the Redbridge, Maybush and Millbrook areas for eight years and stepped down in 2019 - agreed for the first trial to go ahead in his council area (ward) in 2012. Andrew says:

Andrew Pope

"I was unsure. So I agreed to the trial on the condition that there would be enforcement. Speed data was collected.

As I reported back to residents after the trial, the evidence did not show much difference in average speeds - only a few miles per hour, and certainly not ten miles per hour from 30 to 20mph.

I agreed for the signage to continue to be up, as it would have cost more for it to come down. But it is a false "limit". The trial was disappointing and a failure.

At a residents meeting in the Channel Islands Estate in the North West of the City, I mentioned the 20mph to the Police who were there. The Police said they had not even been told about the Council's policy of 20mph!

Now we learn from the Daily Echo that the "new" Labour-run Council is reducing speeds on Southampton roads, despite the Police objecting to it. Earlier in 2022, the Tory-run Council did a "consultation" but carried on anyway - no matter what the public or Police said!

Is this how public money should be spent - on things that don't work or won't work if the Police don't agree or the Council doesn't do what works?

No, the Council have to have effective measures, not wasting our money.

And how can the Police enforce any limit - 20 or 30 or 40 - if they were not told about it or don't agree or even object to it? They asked us residents to volunteer to do the job for them. 

There were not many volunteers, which is unsurprising when you hear about the abuse people get when they volunteer under Community Speed Watch schemes elsewhere.

When word got out about the lack of enforcement on the 20mph, it is perhaps no surprise that speeds were not reduced sufficiently.

Despite this, the Labour-run Council or the Tory-run Council have repeated the same 20mph fake "limits" in other parts of Southampton. Labour or Tory, same old story.

When in opposition, they've criticised it. But when in power, they've carried it on. Why?

Are they really dealing with the issue of road safety or of parking in Southampton, or just pretending to?

Residents have realised that the Council - whether Labour or Tory - have not listened to all residents in their sham consultations. Now we see that the Labour or Tory councillors do not listen to the Police either.

And it is just another example of Labour or Tory, same old story.

Southampton Independents will keep on trying to keep Labour and Tory honest.

We put Southampton residents first, not Westminster."

UPDATE (9/8/22): Announcement By Andrew Pope on Safe Standing - Five Years Later, Southampton FC Still Refusing To Publicly Commit To Safe Standing

 

Andrew Pope Demonstrating Rail Seats
and Showing the Dangers of Standing With Existing Seating
Photo: Southampton Independents

UPDATE (9/8/22)

Andrew Pope says:

"Recently, after upping the pressure, I have achieved improved dialogue between the Safe Standing campaign, officers of Southampton FC, the Rail Seats Roadshow, Saints fans and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority. But Southampton City Council have been no help. Why?

Because in a Freedom of Information request (FoI), Southampton City Council denied to me that the Full Council meeting in 2018 - where I achieved support for my motion for Safe Standing - ever happened! They said no Council meeting occurred between 2017 and 2022 on safe standing.

Incredibly, the Council's FoI response also denied that any correspondence ever occurred between the Council and Southampton FC. Southampton City Council's FoI function has limited credibility. This correspondence did not happen? Well, I've seen the correspondence. I told the Council that what they wrote was pathetic, and there was correspondence. But the Council's own FoI response denies it!

Perhaps the Daily Echo, BBC Radio Solent and other local and national news organisations all reported on my campaign, and they had imagined it? It's the Council getting it wrong again. The Football Supporters Association definitely had heard about my campaign. But the Council denies it.

Reality definitely seems to exist in a parallel universe to the FoI staff at Southampton City Council! Their FoI response was abysmal, it was very wrong, and I've asked them for an Internal Review, which has already gone past the deadline they gave me. Nobody can trust the Council's FoI responses when it is this bad.

I have again raised concerns with officers of Southampton FC about safety and persistent standing at St. Mary's Stadium, particularly around the repeated problems at the segregation line between home and away fans - a source of repeated flashpoints during last season. I have urged Southampton FC not to consider Block 1 for any safe standing. Almost every other location in the Stadium would be preferable for any trial.

After five years, I am hopeful of a breakthrough.

Because of the improved dialogue, I am now more hopeful than ever that Southampton FC will engage meaningfully with me and other independent fans on Safe Standing, and I strongly believe that fans will get our trial of Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium. "

More news to follow, hopefully via local news media...

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Other Premier League Clubs Have Installed Safe Standing – Why Are Saints Delaying?

"Five years after, Saints will still not commit publicly to definitely bringing in safe standing.  How long are they going to wait?"

 

The leader of the campaign for Safe Standing at Southampton FC, Andrew Pope, attended St. Mary’s Stadium for a Women’s Euros 2022 football match. Andrew was saddened to see that safe standing had still not been installed. It reminded the former Southampton Independents Councillor to get an update and up the pressure on the new owners of Southampton FC.

When Andrew asked Tim Greenwell - who is Chief Governance and Operations Officer for Southampton FC – he was told:

"We are currently in discussions internally and with our supporters group about safe standing.

We are building our own plans around this issue and are working with the right people to determine whether this is something that is right for St Mary's and our supporters.”

Andrew responded:

Andrew at St. Mary's

 

“Five years after I started the campaign for Safe Standing, Saints will still not commit publicly to bringing in safe standing. This is frustrating. And it is despite it now being legal to do so because the Government changed the rules after years of campaigning by us football fans. Our campaign victory happened earlier this month.

How long are Southampton FC going to wait to apply for a safe standing licence? Other clubs have been early adopters.

Will Saints be the last adopter?

Will Saints be the last to give its fans what they want which is to stand safely at the football? I hope not.

Yes, they need time to plan it safely, but even Cardiff City have beaten them and they are in the Championship, not the Premier League.”

 

Rail Seats Roadshow's Jon Darch
Showing How Dangerous Unsafe Standing Is Now
Photo: Southampton Independents

As shown on this website, back in 2017, Andrew started a petition for Saints fans that received around 1,000 signatures, and organised a demonstration of rail seats – one form of safe standing - in Southampton. 

As a Southampton City Councillor, Councillor Pope proposed a motion at Southampton City Council on 16th May 2018. The motion was carried by the majority votes of councillors. The full text of the Motion is below.

Andrew added: 

“At the Austria-Northern Ireland Women's Euros match, I stood with other fans in the Itchen Stand for almost the entire match. No stewards asked us to sit down. 

Standing without rail seats is common at every Premier League match, but it is not safe when the Stadium is packed. 

Safe standing must be the future at St. Mary’s Stadium. 

I’m glad that my Freedom of Information request to the Council revealed that talks are happening by Southampton FC speaking with the Safety Advisory Group and SGSA. Other responses from the Council were extremely worrying and they will be revealed in due course.

I hope that safe standing will happen in the next year. But why so slow?

And why is the communication from Southampton FC with its fans on safe standing, so lacking?

Southampton FC claim to be speaking to a supporters group. I believe they are called "Saints Voice" but most fans have never heard of them.

I've asked Southampton FC for more details of what this supporters group has done to push for Safe Standing, but had no response.

From what I've discovered myself, there has been very little pressure coming from Saints Voice on safe standing. I'm sure those individuals on Saints Voice are well-meaning, but they are not independent of the football business or its owners.

I saw this sort of thing when I was a union rep 20 years ago - company management tried to undermine the union by creating an "employees voice". This was to by-pass the independent union, whose reps were elected.

Southampton FC seems to be pretending that it listens to fans so that it can claim to the authorities, including the SGSA, that it talks to fans. But it seems to be more like a "tickbox exercise" than a genuine body with fan power.

Fans pay Southampton FC a fortune in ticket prices every year. They deserve to be listened to and their concerns acted upon.

This requires an independent organisation with elected representatives who can be removed if they do not represent fans."

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Minutes of Annual General Meeting, Council - Wednesday, 16th May, 2018 11.00 am

https://www.southampton.gov.uk/modernGov/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=3542&Ver=4

16.

Motions (a)  Cllr Pope to move:   This Council supports standing up for Southampton FC fans and standing up with Saints fans. But since the Taylor Report, and changes to safety regulations, fans are not allowed to stand up at the match.   Yet Saints' fans passion means that they do stand at every match in the Itchen and Northam stands. They want to stand. They want to sing. They want to shout. Safe standing allows them to support the team with more passion and to do so safely.   This Council supports the national campaign for Safe Standing in the Premier League, and supports Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium.   This Council agrees to write to the Board of Saints and to the Secretary of State to urge the Government and/or Parliament to change legislation to allow trials in the Premier League and then full installation of rail seats or other safe alternatives.   UPON BEING PUT TO THE VOTE THE MOTION WAS DECLARED   CARRIED.     RESOLVED: that the Motion be approved.

UPDATED (9/12/22): Finance De-Regulation After Sunak Becomes PM - LOSER SUNAK BECOMES THE "WINNER" - Rishi Sunak's Image Cleansing Isn't Washing

Rishi Sunak
Former Chancellor
(Photo: HM Treasury)

UPDATE (9/12/22)

ITV News is reporting financial regulation is to be cut in a "major banking shake-up". They write:

"Jeremy Hunt is set to launch a major reform of the UK’s financial sector, with plans to rip up red tape and replace reams of EU regulations...

While promising to protect consumers, the government is also set to announce changes to ring-fencing rules, which currently require large banks to separate retail and investment arms."

Two years ago, The Guardian was writing that we do not need to worry, because of Rishi Sunak's background in finance. They wrote that :

"(Rishi Sunak) has a history of staying up all night worrying about his charges’ financial wellbeing."

Now, after such a background, Sunak is Prime Minister and is relaxing the regulation of finance and banking. As ITV reports, critics say about this relaxation that:

"the reform risks forgetting the lessons of the financial crisis"

(The financial crisis that occurred under the last Labour Government of Gordon Brown). Are you reassured? 

Or is it Labour or Tory, and the same old story?

UPDATE (24/10/22)

The BBC's Political Editor Chris Mason says today:

"September's loser appears on the verge of becoming October's prime minister.

With the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson out, the firm favourite to be the new prime minister is Rishi Sunak."

ITV's Political Editor Robert Peston reports on Boris Johnson "dropping out" of the race to be Prime Minister, but also comments that Johnson had no evidence of 100 MPs supporting him.

Co-founder of Southampton Independents and former Independent Councillor, Andrew Pope says:

 

Andrew Pope

 

"I predicted that Sunak would become Prime Minister last week. It was clear to me that the Conservative Party had already decided that this would happen. I listened carefully to what Conservative MPs in the 1922 Committee said and what they did. 

And I saw what they did not do, which is to find someone good enough to be Prime Minster and lead our country out of the serial disasters created by the Conservatives themselves.

Rishi Sunak lost to Liz Truss, who was the best the Tories could do.

So what we have now is someone who could not beat the disastrous Liz Truss.

Nothing has changed about his suitability to be Prime Minister since he lost to her, apart from Truss bringing our country to its knees and costing people their mortgages and their standards of living, when they are already suffering a crisis with bills.

And nothing has changed with the attempted image cleansing of Sunak and his cronies - what we have published below is the tip of the iceberg. Mr Sunak wondered why his private education meant he knew nobody who was working class. It doesn't take a genius to work that out, but he could not.

What a disastrous situation our country faces. I very much hope that the local media in Southampton and national media too now begin to look properly into Rishi Sunak's background, because it is in the national interest that they do.

We must have a General Election now. The winner needs to be our country, not more Tory failure bringing our country into disrepute."

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UPDATE (9/8/22)

Amongst Conservative MPs, Rishi Sunak was the leading candidate to become Leader of the Conservative Party and therefore Prime Minister, following his resignation from being Chancellor and from Boris Johnson's Government. 

But survey after survey has shown that Sunak's popularity amongst Conservative Party supporters does not match the enthusiasm of Tory MPs. The latest one here reported by The Independent, showed that Tory supporters prefer Truss. 

"Liz Truss extends polling lead over Rishi Sunak in race for prime minister."

Also differing from the Tory MPs views are Tory Party members. Southampton Independents understands - from the contacts it has with Conservatives (admittedly not very friendly, but we do have channels) - that Conservative Party members prefer Truss to Sunak. 

Sunak is seen by Conservative Party members as the one that "knifed" Boris Johnson - despite the fact that Sajid Javid resigned from Johnson's Cabinet on the same day as Sunak. Javid's bid for PM faltered early on.

Perhaps also a factor is the image washing that Sunak has been engaging in - before his meteoric rise - and even before he became a Parliamentary candidate, the PR pretence over Sunak began. Read on for our original article. 

We have more information, but we are not publishing it yet. 

Why? Because we expect the Daily Echo, local BBC, the Local Democracy Reporter and national news organisations to be big enough and brave enough to investigate Sunak and to report the full truth about Rishi Sunak. Maybe they will, maybe they won't - until it's too late?

More important than the views of a tiny minority - the Tory Party, its MPs and its members - are the views of the people of the United Kingdom, and YouGov polling shows that the public do not trust Truss or Sunak!

The public view Sunak as more out-of-touch than Truss, which given Truss' loose connection with the truth and reality, is remarkable. This is despite Sunak's image cleansing campaign.

It is now less than a month before we know which of these two people become Prime Minister. It's yet another change of Prime Minister mid-term.

More and more, with every false promise and attempt to launder both Sunak's and Truss' images, it is becoming a Hobson's Choice between proven failure and potential disaster.

We will leave you to work out which is which.

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Rishi Sunak is making much of his Southampton background. Sunak was selected for a far-away Parliamentary candidacy in October 2014, according to ConservativeHome. Earlier that year, key business details relating to his parents' Sunak Pharmacy business, changed. Those business details were changed even before he was selected as a candidate.

Were these decisions related? We leave it for readers to decide for themselves on whether it was pure coincidence, or a matter of sequence, or neither.

Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are involved in the Conservative Leadership contest due to the resignation of Boris Johnson, in whose Cabinet both of them served.

One of them will become Prime Minister in September 2022.

During the BBC's lamentable "Our Next Prime Minister" programme on 25th July 2022, former Chancellor of the Exchequer and MP for Richmond (Yorkshire) Rishi Sunak mentioned Southampton several times.

Live on air, Mr Sunak mentioned the Sunak Pharmacy in Southampton, which his mother was involved in. He claimed to have worked in the pharmacy and even have done the accounts.

So we looked into the relationship between Mr Sunak, his family and the pharmacy.

It is in clear public interest that Mr Sunak's background is examined. And for Southampton Independents, it is even more so, now that he has mentioned Southampton and made much of his connections with our City. 

Mr Sunak's father was a GP ("doctor"). Mr Sunak's mother was a pharmacist ("chemist"). This has been documented widely, including by investigations and reports by Channel 4, by The Mirror and in a book by Michael Ashcroft, the well-known Tory. There is much controversy over Sunak's background.

Sunak's Pharmacy was located at the top of Hill Lane in Southampton.

But if you go there now, you will see that it is not called Sunak's Pharmacy any more.

It is now called Bassett Pharmacy, as shown on the NHS website.

The mighty Highfield Residents Association noticed a name change in April 2020, saying on its website:

"The Bassett Pharmacy at the top of Hill Lane was formerly the Sunak pharmacy.
It was run by the mother of our Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak. His father was also a local GP. Rishi is a Saints supporter and his favourite player is Matthew Le Tissier."

It is an interesting message. Note their use of "our" instead of "the Chancellor", which might be significant. 

So when did the name of the pharmacy change? Many years before the HRA noticed.

And what was the connection with Rishi Sunak's family?

Public records at Companies House show that aspects of the business were changed in 2014:

• the name of the business
• its registered business address
• who its people were, plus 
• other details of the business

These changes preceded, by a year, Rishi Sunak becoming a Member of Parliament ("MP").

Rishi Sunak was first elected to Parliament in 2015. This was not in Southampton but almost 300 miles away in the Richmond (Yorkshire) constituency. It was former Conservative Leader William Hague's Constituency. Sunak was selected for the candidacy in October 2014, according to ConservativeHome.

Hague was unsuccessful at leading the Tories to a General Election victory in 2001.

Perhaps the same fate awaits Rishi Sunak, if he beats Liz Truss in the Conservative Party members' vote and becomes Leader of the Conservatives?

Time will tell.

In the meantime, it is worth considering that ConservativeHome described Sunak as follows:

"A businessman who co-founded a large multinational investment firm and now invests in small and fast growing British businesses, Sunak is also a Governor of the East London Science School and runs Policy Exchange’s BME Research Unit. He went to Oxford and did an MBA at Stanford University, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He recently came second in the Hertsmere selection."

No mention is made of Southampton in this brief biography.

Earlier in 2014, Sunak lost the Hertsmere selection to Oliver Dowden. Dowden is now the former Conservative Party Chairman, after he recently resigned from that role following the Conservatives' disastrous by-election results in June 2022. Those results contributed to the votes of no confidence in Boris Johnson, Sunak's resignation, the apparent Cabinet mutiny, and Johnson's resignation speech in Downing Street.

Sunak attended Oakmount School, then Stroud School and Winchester College. All of these require private payment, as documented by OpenDemocracy.

The NHS pharmacy and Rishi's father's role as a GP - itself a highly-paid NHS role - must have contributed in some way to their son's attendance fees. Sunak also has two siblings. Both of them are mentioned in records at Companies House.

It could be argued that Rishi Sunak himself is a public-private partnership (PPP), with public money from the NHS funding his private education, via an NHS GP and NHS pharmacist.

While he remains a public figure and is aiming to be Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak's background must be examined in more detail, as must be Liz Truss. But Liz Truss has not claimed any connections to Southampton that we are aware of.

Southampton Independents may be providing further information in the public interest.