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...

---

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."

---

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."

---

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.

---

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.

OVER TO YOU

Southampton Independents was formed by Southampton residents for Southampton residents.

Co-founder of Southampton Independents, Councillor Andrew Pope said:

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope on the BBC

"People told me so many times that they have had enough of Labour or Tory and the same old story.

And they still do.

Both of those Westminster parties have let our City, and our Country, down for decades.

I am proud of the fact that we took the initiative to form Southampton Independents and register it as a political party.

I am proud of the thousands of Southampton residents who have supported Southampton Independents when I stood in the General Election in 2017 and when our candidates stood in the Southampton City Council elections in 2018.

To do things as Independents is very hard, takes a lot of personal time and money, but it is worthwhile and rewarding, because it comes from the people for the people.

Southampton Independents achieved many great things, as shown on this website and in the Daily Echo and other local media.

And I am particularly proud of Denise Wyatt, who through hard work and dedication, almost took a safe Labour seat in Redbridge in 2018.

I would like to thank Denise, our volunteers and and all of our supporters, and all those people who helped Southampton Independents achieve what it has.

Southampton Independents have shown that there is an alternative to Labour and the Tories.

I urge the people of Southampton to grasp the opportunities that Southampton Independents has proved are there."

Co-founder of Southampton Independents Denise Wyatt says:

Denise Wyatt

"By working with residents, listening to their concerns and acting on them, Southampton Independents has worked for the people of Southampton, and for a better Southampton for its people.

Thanks again to all those who voted for me, and to those who helped me to help you. And a special thanks to Andrew Pope.

By working together, people can make a better Southampton and break away from the failing Labour Party and failing Tory Party.

Even Councillors and MPs of both those parties are realising that both parties are a failure. The recent resignations of MPs show that we were right to form Southampton Independents. They have been recently saying what we said all along.

The alternative to Labour and the Tories has to come from the people of Southampton, if it is change the City for the better.

It is now over to you..."

3 YEARS ON Are People Safe at NHS Southern Health?

3 years ago, we heard of the Mazars Report into the unexplained deaths at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, which is supposed to care for people in the South of England.

We were astonished at what we discovered. So we did some work to contact those affected and to find out more.

As a service to the public, to patients of the Trust and their families, we updated this website with our work to expose the failures in care, and what we found out.

The more that we worked to expose the Trust's failures, the more concerned we became at how people had been put at risk by the failings of the Trust -  and we held those responsible to account - the Trust Board, its executive and non-executives directors and the then Chief Executive, Katrina Percy.

We pushed for the BBC and ITV, and the local Daily Echo, to report on the failings.

The then Chair of the Trust Mike Petter, and the Trust Board tried to stop the media from attending meetings. He also refused the recording of meetings. We continued to push and now the meetings are recorded.

After we had forced them to allow the media in to their meetings, Mr Petter told us when we challenged him in public, despite the unexplained deaths and the Mazars Report that: "There would be no resignations".

The media then reported on the failings. And resignations followed.

Only one of the then governors, John Green, had the guts to ask the questions that mattered to the Trust Board. That is, to do what governors are supposed to do and hold the Trust Board to account. And he resigned.

The public were told by Katrina Percy via the media that "lessons would be learned".

But then we heard of more unexplained deaths.

We were sceptical as to whether lessons had really been learned. Also sceptical were the families of those who were let down by Southern Health.

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope

Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope asked the Labour and Conservative councillors on the Southampton City Council Health Scrutiny Panel (there were no independent councillors on the Panel) to hold a vote-of-no-confidence in the Trust Board and Governors. The Panel is supposed to hold the local NHS to account.

Andrew says:

"All Labour and Tory councillors refused to hold a vote-of-no-confidence, with the Chair of the Panel Labour Councillor Sarah Bogle, leading the refusal.

I had urged them to do this. Denise Wyatt attended the Panel with me. But all councillors on the Panel refused the vote-of-no-confidence.

Why did they refuse when the Board and Governors had presided over such dreadful failures?"

Then we heard of the prosecutions of Southern Health. And fines for deaths and the suffering of families, that could have been avoided.


With the Chief Executive gone, with the Chair gone too, and then more directors resigning, we questioned whether the Trust really had changed.

Denise Wyatt

So in July this year, the Leader of Southampton Independents, Denise Wyatt, stood and was elected as a governor of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, representing the Southampton area on the Trust's Council of Governors.

Denise has been asking questions internally at the Trust and is now even more alarmed at the answers, as well as the lack of answers to important questions.

Denise says:

"As a Governor representing Southampton residents, I will continue to ask the questions that Southampton people and NHS patients want answers to, and to try to hold the Trust Board and Chair to account. I am pleased that some other governors also appear to want to do this, but I am disappointed that others seem to want to ignore their responsibility."

CAMPAIGN VICTORY: OUR CAMPAIGNING FORCES LABOUR TO SAY NO TO CHARGING PRIVATE CARS

Is this another part of
Labour's Highway Robbery?

UPDATE (29th August 2023): A new article is now published with updates on the London measures imposed by Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. We continue our campaign for a Park and Ride for Southampton, after our success of campaigning for and achieving one for the staff at University Hospital Southampton.

---

Victory (9th October 2018): As reported in the Daily Echo, the Labour Council has been forced to climb down from their plans to charge vehicles. and the so-called "Green" Clean Air Southampton campaigners, have failed in their bid to make Southampton residents pay.

Update: At Full Council on Wednesday 19th September, as reported by the Daily Echo, our Councillor Andrew Pope repeatedly asked the Leader of the Labour-run Council, Councillor Chris Hammond, to rule out charging private cars.

Councillor Hammond repeatedly refused to rule it out.

Southampton Independents to Campaign for a Referendum on Charging

Councillor Pope announced that Southampton Independents will be campaigning for a referendum. He says:

"Southampton Independents supports residents in their opposition to charging.

No Southampton resident should be charged as part of a Clean Air Zone, congestion charge or any other similar charge.

We totally oppose charging Southampton residents.

So if the Labour-run Council want to introduce any charging, they must allow Southampton residents to vote on it first.

Other Independent councillors seemed to support my suggestion.

I have asked the Leader of the Conservative Group whether he supports a referendum. He would not commit to it without speaking to other Conservative councillors first, which I suppose is fair enough. I will await his response when he has spoken with them.

And to add insult to injury, when I asked her, Labour's Cabinet Member for Road Chaos, Councillor Jacqui Rayment, refused to stop charging people for crossing the Itchen Bridge Toll. This is despite the fact that the Labour Council is doing this for electric vehicles.

If they can end the toll for electric vehicles, they can end the toll for ALL VEHICLES. But they don't want to, because they want to keep taking your money.

And charging vehicles as part of any Clean Air Zone or other scheme will be another way for Labour to rob you on the highways.

It is Labour's Highway Robbery."

If you are opposed to any charging, let us know by getting in touch by email at sotonindies [at] gmail.com.

---

Would you support charging private cars to enter our City? In this Daily Echo article, Clean Air Southampton and Friends of the Earth are suggesting it.

Sadly the Labour Council Leader Chris Hammond does not rule it out in the article.

Councillor Andrew Pope says:

"In all of the conversations we have had on residents' doorsteps about pollution in Southampton, nobody has suggested that private cars should be charged.

Just who does "Clean Air Southampton" represent?

Southampton Independents is totally opposed to charging private cars in any Clean Air Zone.

Instead, residents want it, so we are campaigning for Park and Rides to be implemented. Labour and Tory councillors have done little to progress these in many years. We applaud the new hospital's Park and Ride at Nursling and have supported the planning application.

Southampton City Council should be taking action to get Park and Ride across the City, not charging private cars.

I am asking the Leader of the Council to rule out charging private cars, in a Formal Written Question at the September Full Council meeting."

Park and Ride or Clean Air Zone: SHOULDN'T YOU DECIDE?

Councillor Andrew Pope

The Daily Echo is reporting criticism of Southampton City Council's proposed "Clean Air Zone". 

Our Councillor Andrew Pope says:

"Southampton Independents is listening to your views.

Do you want a Clean Air Zone? The Labour Council and Tory Government think they can impose it on you and local businesses.

Do you want a Park and Ride? Residents tell us regularly that they do. And we are campaigning for it. The hospital have listened. But the Council hasn't listened or acted for you.

And the Council hasn't delivered a park and ride for you, despite lots of talk.

Businesses and the Tory MP for the East of the City (Royston Smith) think that the Labour Council's Clean Air Zone is a bad idea. Do you agree?

Yet according to the Labour-run Council, it is the Tory Government that is imposing the Clean Air Zone on Southampton. They've claimed they wouldn't be doing it otherwise.

Once again, it is a case of Labour or Tory, same old story, with adults and children continuing to suffer from air pollution and its affects on our health."

Leader of Southampton Independents

Our Leader Denise Wyatt Southampton Independents says:

"Once the Labour Council have pretended to listen to you and then approved this anyway, Labour councillors can easily change it to make you pay to use your car in our City, by simply asking the Government whether they can do it.

Southampton Independents has confirmed this with Council officers, and that they wouldn't need to ask you, the public. Do you think this is right? We don't.

We already pay enough for the reducing services and poor communication by the Council. People get bad services and can't contact the Council easily.

Where is our Park and Ride? Areas of the City such as Redbridge already have a higher-than-average level of asthma. This can't carry on. 

Tell us what you think."

SAFE STANDING: Government to Review the Rules

Since last year, our Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope has been leading the local campaign for Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium.

Andrew was interviewed by Julian Clegg on BBC Radio Solent this week. The interview is below.

Photos of rail seats, which are proposed for the trial of Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium, are below and in the video that accompanies the interview. Other photos that help to explain the campaign are also on the video stream, including the dangers of "unsafe standing" as currently.

"Passionate Paula" is behind a trip hazard

When "Passionate Paula" gets excited...
... she could trip on the seat in front of her

And "Passionate Paula" can fall on other fans...

The local petition for Safe Standing at St. Mary's Stadium is here. If you have not signed it already, please sign it and share it with your contacts, colleagues, friends and family. At the time of writing, over 800 Saints fans have signed it.

As a result of the national campaign led by the Football Supporters Federation across England for Safe Standing at English grounds in the Premier League and Championship, and because the Government said they would not be looking at Safe Standing despite our campaign, a national petition was started. The e-petition gained over 100,000 signatures in a short time, and resulted in a debate in Parliament on Monday this week.

At the end of the debate, the Minister responsible Tracey Crouch MP, confirmed a review of the rules that currently prevent safe standing.

Councillor Andrew Pope says:

Councillor Pope showing
Rail Seats for Safe Standing
at St. Mary's Stadium

"This is a major step in the right direction for the campaign for Safe Standing across England and at St. Mary's Stadium.

Thanks to everyone who has supported the campaign so far:

• Southampton fans who signed my petition
• Jon Darch and the Safe Standing Roadshow
• The Daily Echo and That's Solent TV who have covered the campaign
• BBC Radio Solent and Wave 105 who have interviewed me several times
• the majority of Southampton City councillors who supported my motion supporting Safe Standing.*
• the Total Saints Podcast who have helped to promote the campaign
• MPs that spoke in the debate in Parliament on Monday

But we are not there yet. The rules have not been changed yet and this review appears to be taking until at least early 2019.

This may be an attempt to kick safe standing into the long grass.

We have not campaigned for years to allow this to happen.

We have to keep up the pressure.

If you want to help with our Safe Standing campaign, or if you want to help us with our other campaigns across Southampton, contact Southampton Independents by emailing us at sotonindies [at] gmail.com."

*(N.B. None of the Coxford councillors voted for the motion - Don Thomas, Keith Morrell and Tammy Thomas - and not all Labour councillors supported it - including Shirley Councillor Satvir Kaur. But the vast majority of Labour and Conservative councillors did support the motion.)