Southampton Labour Causing Congestion and Pollution

Council aren't Fixing our Roads or the Congestion

The people of Southampton and the visitors to Southampton have had enough!

This week, the Daily Echo has reported figures that confirm what we already know.

Southampton's roads are a disgrace.

Southampton's roads are too congested.

Southampton's air quality is very poor.

And the situation hasn't improved for years.

Southampton Independent Councillor Andrew Pope is quoted in the Echo article:

"Andrew Pope said the figures were no surprise to him, adding: 

"This congestion is causing poorer air quality and pollution for the people living in Southampton.

"The Labour council has talked a lot and written a lot about improving air quality, but the situation has not improved.

“To fix this, we have to improve public transport and improve the flow-through by removing the pinch points.”*

Southampton Independent campaigner Denise Wyatt says:

"The Council has failed to fix Southampton's disgraceful roads.

The Council has failed to address the serious congestion affecting Southampton.

The Council has failed to address the serious pollution affecting Southampton.

Instead of reducing air pollution and congestion, the Labour-run Council is ADDING to it by approving more and more warehouses like Lidl, UPS, Selco and now at Test Lane. 

Residents don't want it.

Motorists don't want it.

Labour has the wrong priorities and is letting Southampton down."


*A longer recorded interview with Councillor Pope is here.

Labour or Tory, Same Old Story

Labour's Wilted and Dying Rose

Overnight, Labour has had a disastrous result in the Copeland by-election, losing to the Government in the middle of the Tory Government's term of office. This is extremely rare.

Labour should have held on to this seat, caused by their MP resigning to take a job in the nuclear industry.

The Blairites and other factions of Labour are seeking to blame Jeremy Corbyn. The Corbynistas are seeking to blame the Blairites.

It is true that people don't like Jeremy Corbyn. It is true that people don't like his messages either.

We Independents know this from our conversations with people.

But Labour's problems are not just at the national level.

In Southampton, they are also at the local level. They are failing to run Southampton City Council properly. And the Labour Group of councillors are also split between pro- and anti-Corbyn factions, as we have shown on this website before.

Incredibly, when presenting his latest Council Budget, Labour's Finance Chief Mark Chaloner said last week that: "The last Labour Government were running the economy properly!"

This caused everybody in the Council Chamber to laugh uncontrollably. If he believes this, he is more deluded than even Jeremy Corbyn.

Were the Tories any better at running Southampton City Council? No. 

Were the Liberal Democrats? No, neither of them were up to the job either.

But Labour is doomed. Why?

Because across Britain, the membership of every Constituency Labour Party (CLP) is split into at least two - pro- and anti-Corbyn. The Executive Committee of officers in each CLP are also split.

The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) is split into at least two factions in the same way.

The officers at Labour HQ at Brewers Green are split too.

All of these parts are at loggerheads.

Instead of fighting the Tories, they are fighting themselves.

And instead of standing up for British people, they are fighting themselves.

Independents fight on the issues that matter to you. The Westminster parties think of themselves before thinking of you, your area and your family.

Join us Independents to remove the Labour Party from their seats on Southampton City Council. 

The local elections are not until May 2018, but we are fighting hard for local people right here, right now.

Southampton People Don't Want Fortnightly Bins!

Independent Councillor Andrew Pope

Independent Campaigner Denise Wyatt

This week, both Denise Wyatt and Andrew Pope spoke up at the annual Council Budget meeting where the Southampton Labour-run Council brought in fortnightly bin collections.

Year on year, Labour has said that it will keep weekly bin collections.

The people of Southampton want to keep weekly bin collections.

But ALL Labour councillors voted to cut bin collections in Southampton.

And their votes are now a matter of public record. All Labour councillors can be seen here. Did your local councillor vote it through? Then vote them OUT at the next City Council election in May 2018.

As well as speaking against the proposals, Councillor Pope voted AGAINST the budget.

The Daily Echo blog, including the following quotes from our speeches, is here.

Daily Echo live blog of the Council budget meeting - Denise Wyatt mentioned

Daily Echo live blog of the Council budget meeting - Andrew Pope mentioned