UPDATE (2nd August 2016): The Daily Echo reported on the Labour chaos yesterday here. They confirm much of what we had already said last week, and their report also shows the open fighting between factions of the Labour Party. We say it again - Labour should not be in-fighting. It should be standing up for our country and our City. But it isn't.
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(26th July 2016): Here is an update from Denise to our letter published in the Echo recently.
Labour is in a deep crisis. Meanwhile Labour MPs like Alan Whitehead involved in the "coup" against Jeremy Corbyn are letting the country down and letting Southampton down.
And the Labour Council and Labour Councillors are letting the people of Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush down.
Remember too that the Tories are no better! Whether it's Labour or Tory, it's the same old story.
That's why we ask you to support Independents like us.
Independents focus on the issues that matter to you.
Party politics has no place in local councils.
Denise and Andrew
P.S. Update 26th July 2016 - The Labour splits and in-fighting get worse and even more funny. There is ANOTHER later letter showing even more splits - a new list of supporters of "Where's Wally?" Labour leader candidate Owen Smith. The councillors with their wards and Parliamentary constituencies (and hence Constituency Labour Parties) are:
Cllr Christopher Hammond (Woolston, Southampton Test)
Cllr Darren Paffey (Bargate, Southampton Itchen)
Cllr David Furnell (Millbrook, Southampton Test)
Cllr Hannah Coombs (Shirley, Southampton Test)
Cllr John Noon (Bargate, Southampton Itchen)
Cllr Sarah Bogle (Bargate, Southampton Itchen)
Cllr Sharon Mintoff (Swaythling, Romsey and Southampton North)
Where does this leave the Corbyn-supporting councillors like the Mayor, Councillor Cathie McEwing (Redbridge, Southampton Test)? And doesn't this put her at odds with anti-Corbyn letter signing, then not anti-Corbyn signing "comrade" Councillor Lee Whitbread (Redbridge, Southampton Test)? (see below for details)
The Labour Party is a joke from top to bottom!
It's the party members that we feel sorry for, and the communities across the country that Labour is letting down, especially in Southampton - see the rest of this website.
You couldn't make it up!
Firstly, the Echo printing of our letter suggested that both Andrew and I are councillors. I am not one - not yet. I would like to thank the people of Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush that did vote for me.
Secondly, since we wrote to the Echo, the letter where Southampton Labour councillors call for Corbyn to go has been changed online.* (see first link below)
Names have been added by the compiler of the letter London Labour councillor Ed Davie. Names have been removed too. What a mess. Only Labour could be so inept.
For example, Redbridge Councillor Lee Whitbread now claims he didn't approve for his name to be used in calling for Corbyn to go. * (see second link below)
This is difficult to believe. Computers are deterministic machines that act according to the instructions of the user.
Perhaps Lee Whitbread and Labour councillors didn't know whether they have clicked a link or not? But the email was very clear. * (see the process in the second link below).
Or what changed his mind? Unite member Cllr Whitbread hasn't removed his name from last year's Huffington Post letter backing Liz Kendall for Leader - not Corbyn.
Now the list of proverbial knife-wielding councillors from Southampton is a not-so-magnificent seven not five - Hammond in Woolston, Furnell in Millbrook, Paffey, Bogle and Noon all in Bargate, Rayment in Bevois and Mintoff in Swaythling.
Working for Corbyn against the treacherous seven is the Mayor, the other Redbridge Labour Councillor McEwing. That letter hasn't changed - but there's time!
Meanwhile there is silence on the leadership leanings of the rest of them - such as the normally very loud Shirley Labour Councillor Satvir Kaur.
Are they for Corbyn or against Corbyn? Or are they sitting on the fence? What a mess.
They should put the people of Southampton first by becoming Independents and protect the City from more Labour cuts to the vulnerable.
Who of them has the strength to stand up and be counted?
All the best,
Denise Wyatt
Millbrook, Redbridge and Maybush Independents
http://labourlist.org/2016/06/
http://labourlist.org/2016/06/