Investigating Labour's Satvir Kaur: Southampton Test General Election Candidates Comment On Our Exclusive Investigation

Councillor Satvir Kaur (right) at the Arts Complex
"White Elephant" with a cheque written by Persimmon Homes
where her husband Ben Walker is Head of PR
Photo: Persimmon Homes Media Gallery

Southampton's General Election Candidates have been responding to the revelations in our exclusive investigation into Satvir Kaur, Labour's Southampton Test 2024 General Election Canddiate, who is a Labour Councillor. She was decision make as a Cabinet Member for a decade, and former Leader of Soutnampton City Council.  

Our investigation looked into Satvir Kaur's background, her track record on Southampton City Council and her associations and affiliations. We exposed inconsistencies and omissions in how she has declared interests when making decisions on public funds. And we showed what information seems to be missing and questions that arise.

The photo above is from Persimmon Homes Media Gallery, all freely and publicly available information. Details just might have escaped attention though. 

The photo shows Councillor Satvir Kaur (right) at the John Hansard Gallery, part of the Arts Complex "White Elephant", for which let's not forget she was responsible as a Cabinet Member on the Council and was not very good at answering questions when we asked about the finances.

The cheque is written by Persimmon Homes, where her husband Ben Walker is Head of Public Relations, according to Kaur's register of interests at Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The Persimmon media article is from 7th September 2022 when she was Leader of the Council. Satvir Kaur is quoted as follows (emphasis added):

"Cllr Satvir Kaur, Leader of Southampton City Council added:

“Southampton has a rich cultural offering but it is important that everyone in the city, regardless of background, has the opportunity to enjoy it. That is why the John Hansard Gallery summer school is such a brilliant project.

“I’m also delighted to see major companies continuing to support and invest in Southampton’s cultural sector. This is a further vote of confidence and I’d like to thank Persimmon for their support.” 

We asked all Southampton Test candidates, including Councillor Kaur herself, to comment. And also Persimmon Homes themselves, although perhaps that request went to Ben Walker, Satvir Kaur's husband? We do not know as they have not replied.

Reacting to the detail of our investigation, John Edwards, Reform UK Candidate and Satvir Kaur's opponent in Southampton Test, told us:

 

John Edwards, Reform UK
Photo: used with permission J Edwards

 

"Your investigation into Satvir Kaur. Wow. Now that is interesting.

Clearly the Labour candidate lacks the ability of the required leadership sorely needed by our city, that was clearly lacking in her time of being the council leader. Her damning admission that she didn't do 'financial stuff' really sums up the state of the Labour party, both locally and nationally. That is, the lack of depth on the political gene pool.

To have such a Labour MP to represent Test Constituency in Parliament only widens the gap between what Southampton needs, in order to promote and to boost the local economy and the damaging green policies that will be pursued by a Labour government, which many businesses and entrepreneurs fear."

 

Maggie Fricker, TUSC Candidate and another opponent of Satvir Kaur for Southampton Test said:

 

Maggie Fricker, TUSC
Photo: used with permission M Fricker

 

"I'm not interested in making personal attacks on any one."

(We did not ask her to make a personal attack. We asked her to comment on her opponent and the investigation.)

Ms Fricker also said:

"It's the record of this Labour administration in Southampton that we condemn. It's not about poor management of resources - the Tories are responsible for stealing over £500 million from the city by cutting our funding. The Labour group had a political choice - fight for our city or bend the knee to the bosses who want workers to pay for the crisis of their system."

We await responses from the other candidates. They have all been asked in exactly same way and at the exact same time. 

Isn't it useful to know that some candidates want to make comment and others avoid it? And still they cannot be bothered to act, even when their opponent is being scrutinised in the interests of democracy and accountability. And worse, they even fail to answer when we are doing investigative journalism in the interests of Southampton residents.

The worst examples are both Test and Itchen candidates for Labour (Satvir Kaur and Darren Paffey), Greens (Neil Kelly and Katherine Barbour) and Lib Dems (James Batho and Thomas Gravatt). All six have consistently ignored or actively refused to answer any questions from us. The other candiates have answered questions or commented during the General Election campaign.

Why Southampton Independents Is Covering the 2024 General Election

Southampton Independents recommends no particular candidate in the 2024 General Election. We publish this information and the information about the other candidates to help inform Southampton residents for their vote, or for them to choose not to vote or to positively spoil their ballot by writing "none of the above". It's your choice.

The other candidates for Southampton Test, with their answers, are here.