IT'S OFFICIAL! Andrew Pope is Our Southampton Test Candidate

Councillor Andrew Pope

It is now official! Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope has been accepted by the Returning Officer as the official Southampton Independent candidate for the Southampton Test Constituency. 

Here is a brief biography:

Andrew Pope YOUR Southampton Independents Candidate for the 2017 General Election works for YOU. 

Andrew has helped thousands of people all over Southampton as a campaigner. He has been a Southampton City Councillor for 6 years. Andrew has worked in industry, government, defence technology, retail and insurance in the UK and in Australia, so knows how to get things done. He co-owns a small business. Andrew has two degrees in Computer Science and International Politics and a college diploma in IT so has learnt practical skills and how to solve many different problems in a wide range of scenarios.

How can Andrew help you, your family and your area?

On the day Theresa May hinted that the Tories will repeat the same promise on immigration that they have broken every year since 2010, Andrew said:

" I am delighted to have received confirmation that I am the official Southampton Independents candidate. 

Thank you to the residents of Shirley, Coxford, Maybush, Millbrook, Freemantle and Redbridge that nominated me.

Southampton Independents is a new local party registered this year that is about Southampton for the people of Southampton.

Local residents deserve better than Alan Whitehead, who has been the Labour MP for Southampton Test for 20 years.

Residents need to know that he did NOT vote to trigger Article 50, despite Southampton voting by majority to leave the EU.

We in Southampton Independents hear so much criticism of Mr Whitehead on the doorsteps in conversations with local residents. Residents have said that Mr Whitehead should retire.

The Tory candidate that has been chosen, Paul Holmes is a political careerist who last stood in Surrey. Mr Holmes has been parachuted in by the Tories like Labour parachuted London councillor Rowenna Davis into Southampton Itchen in 2015.

Southampton people were smart enough to realise that Davis was not local, and Ms Davis lost to the Tory candidate Royston Smith, who had lived and worked in Southampton for a lot longer than her.

Mr Holmes is a yes man to Theresa May.

And Theresa May knows that she faces opposition to her version of Brexit from Labour, which is split from top from bottom. Mrs May also knows that she faces opposition from MPs and councillors in her own party who want to block Brexit.

The Liberal Democrats also resist Brexit to try to save their party. And let's not forget, they betrayed the country in the Coalition with the Tories.

And UKIP are competing with Labour for the most incompetent national party.

Southampton Independents campaigned for Brexit because the people of Southampton asked us to.

Andrew standing up for Southampton residents in the Daily Echo

Councillor Andrew Pope speaking up for Southampton residents
on local BBC South Today

Southampton Independents listen to local people and fight for them on the issues that matter to them - not jumping to party political instruction from Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May, Tim Farron or Paul Nuttall.

I ask that Southampton people vote for the candidate who already listens to you, works for you and stands up for you.

I put it to you that the coverage on TV and regularly in the Echo shows me already standing up for Southampton on the issues that matter.

So I ask that you kindly lend me your vote at the 8th June General Election so that I can go to Westminster and do the same as your MP."