SOUTHAMPTON LABOUR FUNDING: How Long Would It Take Us To Find Something Amiss in Southampton Labour Party Funding?

 

Satvir Kaur Accepting a Cheque from Persimmon Homes
Outside... The Arts Complex
Photo: Persimmon Homes

Satvir Kaur Former Labour Councillor
Photo: Southampton City Council

  

NOT LONG... About ten minutes if you know where to look...

Yesterday, we published part of the minutes of Southampton Labour Party Executive Committee from 2017 where the then Leader of the Council Simon Letts told them that he would be closing the Kentish Road Respite Centre for vulnerable adults.

If the minutes are accurate, it appears that there was very weak opposition from Labour Party members on that Committee, including now Green Party Agent Lisa Fricker.

Then Letts followed through on his decision, much to the anger of families in Southampton.

So how is the Southampton Labour Party organised? 

How is the Southampton Labour Party funded?

And is it legitimately funded?

If you look on the Electoral Commission website, you will see a donation from Shere Sattar to Satvir Kaur's campaign in Southampton Test. Satvir Kaur is now the Labour MP for Southampton Test.

 

Shere Sattar Donation to Southampton Labour on Electoral Commission website
Image: Southampton Independents

This is the same Shere Sattar who the Daily Echo's Jason Lewis in 2025 reported as follows:

"A donation made to a Southampton Labour MP by a convicted criminal during the general election campaign was returned “very shortly afterwards”, the party has confirmed.

The £10,000 donation to Southampton Test Labour was part of around £40,000 given to the party by businessman Abdul Sattar Shere-Mohammod last year.

Satvir Kaur, who was elected MP for Southampton Test in July 2024, declared the donation on the register of members’ interests, with its registration date listed as August 2, 2024." 

So with some know-how, it literally took ten minutes to find something amiss in how Satvir Kaur is funded, and how the Southampton Labour Party is funded.

And what of Satvir Kaur's links with Mr Sattar?

Satvir Kaur in Daily Echo

In 2016, Satvir Kaur was quoted in the Daily Echo in an article containing quotes from her and Shere Sattar, alleging:

"A HUGE gathering of Muslims in Southampton has been cancelled due to escalating racial tensions after the EU Referendum...  

Southampton’s communities chief, Satvir Kaur, said she had received reports of racist abuse aimed at Polish and Asian residents after the referendum and there have been reports of racially aggravated abuse across the UK in the wake of the vote to leave the EU.

But police have say they have recorded less reports of hate crime in the week after the referendum than those before." 

The Echo reported in 2025 that:

"It is understood [Shere Sattar] was expelled from the Labour Party in August 2022 after it was informed about the criminal conviction."

Andrew Pope says: 

 

Andrew Pope
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

"This is no surprise to me. Before this scandal broke, I phoned Shere Sattar to ask him about his links with Satvir Kaur. He didn't want to answer.

Labour accepted funds from Shere Sattar for Satvir Kaur and her General Election campaign, despite Labour having expelled him from the party. 

This scandal involving Satvir Kaur, and the Labour Party and Satvir Kaur accepting a donation from a convicted criminal, also brings into question his allegations about alleged racism in relation to Brexit.

His allegations appear in the same article in which Satvir Kaur is quoted going along with his allegations about racism, so her claims also need to be questioned, as well as further questions on how she and Southampton Labour are funded. 

More questions need answers in relation to Kaur and her associates and funders."

Why You Cannot Trust Southampton Labour Party Members To Challenge Councillor Simon Letts

Councillor Simon Letts
Photo: Southampton City Council

 

Our Co-Founder and Member of the Independent Network Andrew Pope says:

 

 

"Southampton Labour Party's own documented meeting minutes from 2017, that I somehow obtained despite quitting Labour in 2015 and kept for years for the right moment, show that Southampton Labour Party members didn't stop Letts. They gave in with barely a whimper. 

There is no evidence in the minutes of challenge, just an explanation of what Letts intended to do. So everybody in the Southampton Labour Party at that meeting, including now Green Party Agent Lisa Fricker who would simply  'communicate' Letts' cruel decision, is complicit in Labour's cruel cuts. 

Labour or Tory, same old story, yet again! Like I said when I quit Labour in 2015, Simon Letts and Southampton Labour cannot be trusted." 

 

Who and What Is Simon Letts? 

Councillor Simon Letts is currently the Cabinet Member for Finance on Southampton City Council. He was brought in because in her short reign, the previous Leader of the Council Satvir Kaur, brought the Council to its financial knees and on the brink of bankruptcy. Kaur is now the MP for Southampton Test and incredibly, a Junior Minister in Keir Starmer's Government. Kaur admitted that she did not understand Council finances, yet somehow occupied these roles.

You would think that Southampton Labour Party and its members would control its councillors and hold them to account. We present here a case study in why you cannot trust them to do so, and why they allow Letts to be out of control and why he cannot be trusted with public money. When it took control of the Council from the Tories in 2012, Labour continued to make cruel cuts. Labour or Tory, same old story? You bet.

We present here the facts and the evidence. You can decide for yourself what type of person Simon Letts is. You can decide whether you think he is fit to be Leader of the Council, or responsible for the public finances in Southampton.

 

Splits and Factions in the Labour Group of Councillors 

As it is nationally with Keir Starmer's Government, Labour is not fit to run the Council, nor the country. And Labour politicians in Westminster or Southampton cannot decide who they want to be Leader. 

We understand from sources inside and outside the Labour Group of councillors that Letts wants to be Leader again, despite his previous failures as Leader and then being voted off the Council completely in 2018. 

Who is his opponent? The current Leader Alex Winning is up for election in May in Shirley, where Labour has lost successive by-elections. 

Southampton Independents was founded because of Labour councillors like Simon Letts and in spite of people like him. When our Co-Founder Andrew Pope quit Labour in 2015, he criticised Letts publicly. It made front page news in the Echo, authored by the respected former political reporter at the Echo, James Franklin.

Andrew Pope when Councillor
Photo: Southampton Independents

Arts Complex Wastes Tens of Millions of Public Money

Simon Letts was voted off the Council in 2018 by his constituents in Bitterne ward, after our campaign to expose his misuse of public funds, with the help of Cabinet Member Satvir Kaur, on the Arts Complex. 

Andrew Pope obtained an internal audit report about the Arts Complex, a report which he had pressured the Chief Financial Officer Mel Creighton into writing. 

Pope provided the report to the Echo, in the public interest. The Echo's reporter Rachel Adams, who Pope had contacted, then rang Letts and Letts went nuts. 

So the Echo put it on the front page, pointing out yet another over-spend by the Arts Complex and that Letts said he did not care why it had over-spent. 

Letts lost his Bitterne seat shortly after at the local elections in 2018, and therefore leadership of the Council. 

Southampton Independents had planned it, and had timed it, forensically. The people of Southampton were rid of Letts for a time on the Council. He went off and tried to be Southampton Itchen MP, but lost to Tory Royston Smith, twice.

Southampton Labour's Bilious Recycled and Re-treaded Councillors

But the Southampton Labour Party recycles failed councillors like Simon Letts. There are other examples of defeated councillors being regurgitated like an unwanted. bile-inducing meal. Their councillors lose elections but somehow end up back on the council. As former Tory Leader of the Council Royston Smith once referred to some of his own recycled councillors as "retreads". And like retreads, are they safe, whether Labour or Tory? No.

Letts Cruelly Closes Kentish Road Respite Centre Despite Massive Opposition

Another factor in Letts' demise was the campaign to try to save Kentish Road respite centre from Letts' cuts as Leader of the Council. Southampton Independents joined the campaign and provided advice to Lisa Stead and Amanda Guest, the latter of whom, much to our disgust and disappointment, later became a Tory councillor. We supported their campaign to save the respite centre.

But Simon Letts closed it in 2017. We can exclusively reveal the Southampton Labour Party machinations that enabled Letts to do this, despite massive public opposition and the punishment of vulnerable adults and their families.

Southampton Labour Party's Feeble Questioning of Letts

We have obtained the minutes of Southampton and Romsey Labour Party Executive Committee from Wednesday 22nd Novermber 2017 during the time that Letts closed the Respite Centre. Here is a very relevant section:

"Kentish Road – Concerns have been raised about the closure of Kentish Road from members and service users and Simon spoke openly on many of the issues that we asked him, including the new buildings at 32b Kentish Road and Weston Court. The CQC report states that the provision requires improvement. It currently costs £212 per person per night to use Kentish Road. There was 72 service users and 62 have currently found new care packages, 8 are looking at their options and 2 want only Kentish Road. The decision to change the use of Kentish Road will save 1⁄4 million pounds and will be used for patients with complex needs who require nurse led care but have delayed discharge from hospital because they are not well enough to yet go home but aren't ill enough to stay in hospital. Mencap and SCA have also expressed an interest in using the building for new headquarters but Simon said they would prefer to keep it linked with social care. It will also cost £30,000 to get 32b Kentish Road ready for use but Weston Court and the other options are ready to use now. Simon has offered the service users to co-design 32b. The final decision will be made next week and Simon will send Lisa (Fricker) a statement to email out to all members."

Andrew Pope says: 

 

Andrew Pope
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

"Their own documented meeting minutes show that Southampton Labour Party didn't stop Letts. They gave in with barely a whimper. There is no evidence in the minutes of challenge, just an explanation of what Letts intended to do. So everybody in the Southampton Labour Party at that meeting, including now Green Party Agent Lisa Fricker who would simply "communicate" the decision, is complicit in the cruel cuts.

It's ironic that Lisa Fricker was recently an election agent with the Green Party in the Shirley ward by-election. The victorious Green Party candidate in Gorton and Denton has been making promises that they cannot keep. All the big parties are the same. They lie to get power and then let everyone down.

When Fricker was on it, her Executive Committee could have decided to admonish Letts. Clearly from the minutes, it didn't. It just gave in to Letts.

Their minutes weakly express "concerns". The public opposition was much, much more than "concerns". It was vital. 

And eventually, after Letts was defeated in the 2018 local elections, the new Labour Leader Christopher Hammond said it was not their "finest hour". That is an understatement, because later in 2019 the Local Government Ombudsman ordered compensation for the victims of Letts' cruel cuts to the respite of vulnerable adults. 

Is Letts repentant? I doubt it. He paid with his seat, but he ensured the suffering of vulnerable adults and families with his heartless decision.

Now, he is responsible for the finances of the Council. How can anybody trust Simon Letts and Southampton Labour to make the right decisions for Southampton and its people?"

Southampton Independents has offered the right of reply to Lisa Fricker, Alex Winning and Simon Letts. Christopher Hammond lost the leadership of the Council to the Tories for one year and then did not stand for re-election. 

If we can find who to contact at Southampton Labour Party, because their website is completely lacking in transparency over who are the officers on the Executive Committee now, we will offer them a right of reply too.

 

Our Emblem

 

Andrew Pope Calls on Labour Cabinet Member for Housing Councillor Andy Frampton To Be Sacked

 

Andrew Pope on BBC South Today when a councillor
Photo: Southampton Independents

Andrew Pope says: 

"Council tenants and leaseholders have had enough. The elderly and vulnerable were deprived of their right to vote by Thornhill Labour Councillor Andy Frampton's failure to fix the lift in Milner Court. 

Yes, it's true, because I saw it and heard it including residents struggling with the stairs and others unable to go out to vote. It was very upsetting for me because I fight for democracy in Southampton and fight for residents. I have written about it on this website.

Firefighters and residents were put at risk by Councillor Frampton's wilful ignorance of the fire safety concerns I raised with him about Shirley Towers. I had to do his job for him, and I am not even currently a councillor!

He also ignored my repeated calls over the last two years for him to fix the widespread damp and mould in Council flats and houses.

Enough is enough. So I've called for the Labour Cabinet Member for Housing Andy Frampton to be sacked by the Leader of the Council, Labour's Shirley ward councillor Alex Winning.

At the same time, I've also reminded him that his own seat in Shirley is up for election in May, where both by-elections have been lost by Labour. Will he be "winning" in Shirley in May? I will try to make sure that he doesn't.

 

Thornhill Labour Councillor Andy Frampton
Photo: Southampton City Council

 

I've written to Councillor Winning today. I've also informed the Returning Officer, because the result of this election has been affected by the Labour-run Council's failures to protect residents and their right to vote."

 

Andrew Pope in Shirley Towers in 2026
Photo: Southampton Independents

Redbridge Towers in 2017
Photo: Southampton Independents

Daily Echo April 2017 After Redbridge Towers Fire
Photo: Southampton Independents

EXCLUSIVE: Both Parties Prevent Shirley Voters from Voting - Labour or Tory, Same Old Story AGAIN

 

Southampton Labour Has Robbed People of their Vote

At Thursday's Shirley by-election, voters complained to Independent Network  candidate Andrew Pope that they were prevented from voting.

The by-election was very close, being won by big political party Liberal Democrats by just 21 votes. 

Andrew says: 

 

Andrew Pope in Shirley Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents

"People told me they could not vote by post. And they could not vote in person either. It's a double whammy and an attack on democracy. 

The lift in one block was broken for more than a week, with the Labour-run Council failing to fix it. I asked the housing office to fix it so that people could vote. But they did not fix it, so people could not vote. Why? How? 

In Milner Court, there are two pensioner blocks with some people having mobility problems.

Without the lift, some people cannot get up or down the block, and so they could not get to the polling station. So that's Labour preventing voters from voting, just like I had to make them fix the sprinklers in Shirley Towers by shaming Labour into action.

And the Tories in Government put through the Elections Act 2022 which forced a lapse and timeout on postal votes. So some residents with mobility problems were unable to get their postal votes renewed in time, and then could not get to the polling station.

This was a close election. According to my team's sampling at the count, I did well in some areas and beat or was close to the Tories, Greens and Reform, but I lost votes in Milner Court because of Labour and the Tories failures. I am trying to bring a purer form of democracy back to Southampton.  

Do Labour and the Tories care? No, it's their parties' failures and deliberate attacks on democracy that meant that voters could not vote.

Labour or Tory, same old story.  

I will continue my work with the Independent Network and Southampton Independents to bring democracy back to Southampton."

 

 

VICTORY: Andrew Pope's Pressure Forces Council To Fix Sprinklers At Shirley Towers

 

Andrew Pope Finding Fire Safety Breaches
Photo: Southampton Independents

Andrew Pope has today confirmed with residents, and has obtained photographic evidence, that the sprinklers in the bin area have been refitted.

This is a victory for Andrew's campaign to expose the Labour-run Council's failure to fix the sprinklers that have been out of action since December.

After Sunday's incident in the Towers, Andrew informed the Fire Service about the sprinklers on the ground floor being out of action. The Incident Commanders confirmed that the Council had not told them prior to attending the incident.

Andrew says:

Andrew Pope
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

"I am determined to protect Shirley Towers residents from the Labour-run Council's negligence. And I am determined to get residents' voices heard. 

It is abysmal that Labour Cabinet Member for Housing Councillor Andy Frampton did not want to respond to my questions on behalf of residents.

Never forget that his predecessor in that role Warwick Payne lied to me in 2017, after the Redbridge Towers fire, that residents did not want sprinklers, and that the Tory Leader of Kensington said the same about residents of Grenfell. Labour or Tory, same old story.

Now residents know that Labour does not care about the fire safety of residents, nor the safety of firefighters attending Shirley Towers. It is not just negligence. It is wilful ignorance.

And Labour need to be voted out from the Council.

I very much hope Shirley residents will vote for me in the by-election and for Independent Network candidates in May."

 

The Shirley by-election is on Thursday 26th February and the Council elections are in May 2026.

 

Sprinkler in Shirley Towers
Photo: Andrew Pope

Sprinklers Refitted in Bin Area 
Photo: Andrew Pope

Other side of Bin Area with Sprinklers
Photo: Andrew Pope

Vote Andrew Pope Independent Network on 26th Feb! say Shirley residents... and Andrew responds to them

 

Andrew Pope and the Independent Network emblem

Vote Andrew Pope Independent Network on 26th Feb! 

EIGHT YEARS COUNCILLOR EXPERIENCE & CARE - I HOLD THE COUNCIL TO ACCOUNT FOR YOU 

Please do not waste your vote on the big political parties. 

I am the ONLY candidate at this by-election that has two full four-year terms of experience as a Southampton City Councillor. I have more experience than all the others put together. 

Why? Because all six other candidates have zero experience as a councillor. I checked each one via web search, so that you don't need to. 

I am local. I care. I listen. I act. Elect me to hold the Council to account, regardless of who it is.

Residents told me they wanted me to stand again next time. I promised to. So I am. Residents say:

“Andrew is genuine, knowledgeable, persistent and experienced. He knows what he is talking about and is very articulate.” (Resident Chris who lives in the Coxford part of the Shirley ward).

“Andrew is honest, listened to the problem we had and got it done. He is one of the few councillors who care.” (Resident Barry who lives in the Shirley part of the Shirley ward).

“Andrew is very straight-forward and outspoken in his views. In my opinion, he is exactly what we need in Shirley.” (Resident Bogdan who lives in the Old Shirley part of the Shirley ward).

Residents support me because I listen, lead and act. I’ve helped thousands of Southampton people over decades of hard work here in Southampton. We co-founded Southampton Independents. Why? Because we care about our City and its people.

I've got the big stuff done and got the little stuff done. Just a few examples are below, but you can see more on this website:

1. I led and won a 12-year campaign for a Southampton Park and Ride for hospital staff then another for public and football fans to use. I led a Council inquiry into hospital transport.
2. I ran a petition on the derelict pub plans and spoke up for residents at Council Planning. 
3. I called in the Echo for the Labour Councillor for Transport to be sacked. He was sacked.
4. I successfully pressured the Council to remove silly 20mph signs, including on Hill Lane.

Andrew campaigning on the derelict pub and Park and Ride
Photo: Southampton Independents

Southampton Park and Ride Delivered by Andrew Pope
Photo: Southampton Independents

Sign my petition to demand sprinklers are installed at the SGH. It's on this website, and on Change.org. And you can sign it in person if you get in touch - many people do not use the web and find signing in person is better for them. Mycampaign is building with my dedication and with residents' support.

 

Southampton General Hospital Scene of Major Incident Fire
Photo: Southampton Independents

What issues matter to you? If you want independent representation, you have to vote for it. 

I am part of the Independent Network of councillors and campaigners. We work together with residents. Independents have won here in Southampton, on the Isle of Wight, and across England. I was an Independent councillor for Redbridge and there were three Independents in Coxford too.

Get in touch to tell me what matters. I listen to you. I act. I fight back against the big political parties and keep them honest. I hold them to account. I lead by example and inspire others to act.

Thank you for reading this. Please tell others to vote for me and support the Independent Network in future. 

I live and work locally, running my own business of technical and campaigning consultancy, PopeyMon Consulting. I have a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from Leeds and a Masters degree in Politics from Southampton. 

If you want a local and very experienced and caring councillor, then please vote for me on 26th February. Vote for 8 years of Southampton councillor experience and care.

Vote Andrew Pope, Independent Network on 26th February – Residents say: Local, caring, genuine, experienced and outspoken. Listening, leading and acting for you.

 

Andrew Pope Finding Fire Safety Breaches at Shirley Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents

Independent Network Emblem

Southampton Redbridge Labour Councillor Lee Whitbread Suspended - A Fake "Independent"

 

Labour Councillor Lee Whitbread
Photo: Southampton City Council

Southampton Redbridge Labour Councillor Lee Whitbread has been suspended from the Labour Group of councillors, according to Jason Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter for the Daily Echo.

Co-Founder of Southampton Independents Andrew Pope says:

"The Council website says he is 'Independent'! They are just following their procedures, but Lee Whitbread is nothing of the sort.

We disown Lee Whitbread in no uncertain terms.  

Lee Whitbread is not an independent, but a Labour councillor under investigation.

He is nothing to do with us, nor with any reputable independent elected representative. Lee Whitbread is a wrong'un.

Perhaps now Labour do not want him to be their candidate again, Whitbread could join the so-called "Independent Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition" who are also abusing the name of "independent" in the Shirley by-election. TUSC are also nothing to do with us or the Independent Network. They are Trotskyists and never achieve anything for Southampton.

I always had my suspicions about Lee Whitbread. He has sided with the wrong people, be they Labour councillors or others, including during the 2018 election when our candidate Denise Wyatt almost beat Labour.

We still have the evidence of what he did with those bad people and we considered challenging the result in the Election Court, but we did not have the money if we had lost. Labour clung on to power by one seat, employing desperate measures including siding with those who broke  electoral law. We reported to the Police, who did not act to protect democracy or electoral law. They did not seem to know how to.

Thankfully in contrast to the Police, the Returning Officer trusted our evidence and patrolled polling stations when people threatened to intimidate voters outside them on polling day. Again, we have the evidence and the RO is respected.

I raised this in the Council Chamber after the 2018 local election, and likened the behaviour of some in Redbridge to the rotten borough of London Tower Hamlets, not Southampton.

Southampton could have been so different if they had not employed such desperate measures to keep power.

At the election count in 2016, Whitbread also made derogatory comments towards me and our genuine independent Redbridge candidate Denise Wyatt. He appeared to be affected by our presence at the count and Denise's excellent performance for a first time candidate, and we considered complaining to the Returning Officer. In hindsight, perhaps we should have done.

Having had to suffer him as a "colleague" when in Labour, despite my goodwill towards him at first, I have a wealth of bad experience of Whitbread.

But Councillor Simon Letts backed him despite the allegations I made about Whitbread when I was in the Labour Party. I gave the evidence to Southampton Labour Party officials, but they let Whitbread off.

Now is the time for Labour to ditch him, because the people of Redbridge deserve better than him. And they deserve better than the three Labour councillors - Whitbread, Goodfellow and McManus. They all need to go.

The people of Redbridge, Millbrook and Maybush deserve true Independent Network and Southampton Independents representation again, like they had with me from 2015-2019, and almost had with Denise Wyatt.

If you would like to stand against Whitbread in May, indeed against Labour in Redbridge in May if Whitbread is actually not to be their candidate, get in touch. It's time we brought Redbridge back to democracy, and indeed the whole of Southampton by electing talented independents onto the Council."

 

Andrew Pope

 

Shocking Attitude of Southampton Labour Housing Bosses Towards Council Tenants

 

Labour Cabinet Member for Housing Cllr Andy Frampton
Photo: Southampton City Council

Southampton Independents stands up for residents. We stand up for Council tenants and leaseholders.

Since 2017, we have consistently held the Labour-run Council to account, and also for the year that the Tories had control of the Council. Labour or Tory, same old story, residents said to us. Because Labour is no better than the Tories. 

Co-Founder of Southampton Independents Andrew Pope continues to hold the Council to account. When he got hold of a Council Internal Audit report, he asked questions of the Council's Labour Housing boss Councillor Andy Frampton. As reported previously, Failing Frampton did not reply.

So Andrew asked again, and also asked about fire safety concerns of residents of Shirley Towers and Milner Court, which is two council blocks for older people next door.

Here is the full reply from Frampton, when offered to reply for a SECOND time:

"No, I didn't miss your email. I don't reply to other political groups who will only use answers and explanations as a way to twist the truth and information to their own narrative. Please direct any resident who has any concerns about fire safety or problems with damp & mould to the appropriate department who will help." 

Andrew Pope says:

Andrew Pope on BBC TV
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

"Residents, tenants and leaseholders have had to come to me to help them, because the Council itself has not addressed their concerns and worries over heating, fire safety, damp and mould and more. They feel ignored, so I am trying to help them.

Councillor Frampton was due to meet with tenants representatives meeting on Monday. I attended it at Shirley Towers. He was not there. Why? So I have raised their concerns directly with officers, who were helpful.

Tenants and officers of the Council deserve better than Southampton Labour. I will continue to stand up for them.  

I have written to local media to ask them to help holding Councillor Frampton and the Labour-run Council to account. That is how democracy in Southampton is supposed to operate. 

The big political parties let everyone down. They do not deserve any power in our City."

   

FIRE SAFETY CAMPAIGN: Since 2017, We Have Protected Southampton's Residents

 

Daily Echo Front Page After Redbridge Towers Fire
Photo: Southampton Independents

Southampton Independents listens to residents and acts with residents, because we are residents too.

Since the Redbridge Towers fire in 2017, we have protected residents with our fire safety campaign.

At this link is a video of Councillor Andrew Pope, who was our Redbridge ward councillor. He appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live, showing fire safety breaches in Council tower blocks in International Way in Weston, Southampton.

 

This was in 2018, six months after the Grenfell disaster in London. A full transcript of the video is below:

Andrew Pope
Southampton Independents Councillor
on Southampton City Council

Councillor Andrew Pope on BBC
Photo: Southampton Independents

"We're now at Rotterdam Towers and immediately on coming here we've seen some fire safety issues with the fire doors at the entrance to the building. 

This is a fire door here and the next door we come across is another fire door, this just stays three or four inches open.

And, the next one we come to is another fire door and that's also three or four inches open, as well. Not functioning as a fire door.

And we've been to the top floor and we've seen fire doors there and on other floors that aren't closing properly. We've even seen a fire door where the handle is half hanging off. 

So it's quite disgraceful what we've seen.

We haven't had to look very hard, and we've already seen huge numbers of failures of fire safety within Rotterdam Towers."

Dr Stephen Battersby
Environmental Health Expert:

"It's absolutely amazing to think that after Grenfell Tower, six months after Grenfell Tower, that these conditions still exist and nobody has clearly looked at fire risks in this building and remedied the problems that increase the fire risk.

It means that their safety is at risk.

Any responsible landlord would certainly have ensured that fire doors fit properly, and work as fire doors.

Those fire doors don't fulfill their basic function.

And one doesn't have to be an expert in either fire safety or the housing health and safety rating system, to see that these are problems that ought to be, ought to have been remedied immediately."

Southampton City Council "say they are undertaking an extensive programme of improvements to all their tower blocks... including the installation of sprinklers and the inspection of fire doors."

INVESTIGATION: Andrew Pope Discovers Fire Safety Breaches at Shirley Towers Scene of 2010 Fatal Fire

 

Andrew Pope at a Very Wet Shirley Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents

UPDATE (22/2/26): There was a fire at Shirley Towers today. Andrew Pope was canvassing for the Shirley by-election nearby and saw the fire appliances and firefighters on site. He spoke with the first and second Incident Commanders of the fire service, and asked whether they knew that the ground floor sprinklers had been out of action since the fire in the bin area in December. They both said that they were not aware before attending, and thanked Andrew for the information. This information was from Andrew listening and acting for residents, and speaking to Council housing officers. Labour councillor for housing Andy Frampton has once again been found wanting - let's not forget he refused to answer Andrew's questions for residents about fire safety and damp and mould.

UPDATE (20/2/26): A fire "drill" appears to have been carried out at Shirley Towers. Andrew Pope says:

"I will keep up the pressure on the Council to protect residents and leaseholders. I should not have to use the media to pressure the Council, but I have had to again.

I acted to protect people in 2017 with my campaign for sprinklers in all Council tower blocks and I continue to act to protect.

It is terrible that Labour's Councillor Andy Frampton refused to act when I asked him to. Thankfully, there are some good officers of the Council who care and the Fire Service care too. Labour have to go."

--- 

Following up on his previous campaigning on fire safety in Council tower blocks, Andrew Pope has been investigating the concerns of Shirley Towers residents.

What he has found is very disturbing, considering that he campaigned for sprinklers to be installed in all twenty Council tower blocks. 

Two firefighters - Alan Bannon and James Shears - died in a fatal fire at Shirley Towers in 2010. A memorial plaque was unveiled in 2023. 

Andrew says: 

"The Labour Councillor and Cabinet Member for Housing Andy Frampton is trying to avoid accountability for ongoing fire safety breaches. It is unacceptable that he refused to answer residents' concerns when I contacted him directly.

As in 2018, when I brought BBC Radio 5 Live to Southampton, fire doors are compromised and not fixed in a timely manner. When I reported it to officers, they asked if it had been reported.

It is the responsibility of the Council to regularly inspect and fix.

And now, I have learned from multiple residents that some sprinklers are not working and have not been since December, after a fire in the bin area.

I have not seen any media report of that fire, so I am bringing it to the media's attention.

Residents are worried, so I am trying to get action and answers.

It has been difficult to even reach the right people to get action taken or get reassurance.

I will not stand by and let residents be put at risk again."

 

Compromised fire door in Shirley Towers
Photo: Southampton Independents

Andrew's campaign for sprinklers in all Council tower blocks began before the Grenfell disaster in 2017, and after the Redbridge Towers fire when he was Independent Redbridge ward councillor.

As documented on the Southampton Independents website, his campaign encountered stiff resistance from Councillor Warwick Payne of the Labour-run Council who said that residents did not want sprinklers and

here on Youtube you can hear Payne claim that he did not have the money to do what Andrew was asking him to do for residents.

 

Our campaign led by Andrew Pope forced the Council to do it for all 20 Council tower blocks. Left to the Tories or other big political parties, it would not have happened.