By Cllr. Matt Renyard, Southampton City Green Group Leader and Ward Councillor for Coxford. At the May 2026 local elections, the message was clear – the majority of you wanted change. You wanted leaders who would genuinely tackle the growing gap between your wages and the cost of living, the squeeze...
Opinion Pieces
Reader’s letter: why is council closing play area in summer and dropping splash pad plans?
By Charlotte Ndupuechi. Southampton has some amazing parks and green spaces. From the Common to the Sports Centre, they are places where families gather, children play and communities come together. They are among the city’s greatest assets. That’s why two recent developments have left me wondering what is going...
Reader’s letter: it’s time that Southampton had a new lido
By Chris Zardis. The hot weather definitely made me think, wouldn’t it be nice if we had a lido today. Unfortunately of course we don’t. And so I thought – there must be a campaign group for a lido in Southampton – but though there were plenty of groups...
Reader’s letter: Starmer’s speech – a missed opportunity to address the nation
By Charlotte Ndupuechi. Keir Starmer’s resignation speech left me disappointed, not because he chose to step down—we all knew that was only a matter of time—but because he seemed unwilling to acknowledge how he arrived at this point. During his leadership campaign, Starmer pledged to abolish tuition fees, supported...
Reader’s letter: open letter to Southampton MPs on EHRC Draft Code of Practice
By Cllr Misty Burgess. Sent to MPs Satvir Kaur, Darren Paffey and Caroline Nokes, I am writing to you on behalf of the Southampton & District Green Party councillors regarding the Draft Code of Practice on Services, public functions and associations, in particular the impact it will have...
Reader’s letter: The time to stand together is now – unity is strength
By John Jess. As an 82-year-old working-class man, I have spent my entire life opposing fascism. It deeply worries me to see what is happening on the streets of Southampton, Belfast and elsewhere today. Too many people believe that fascism is something from the history books, or that it...
Reader’s letter: Summer eye health
By Dr Aman Sutaria. Summer in Southampton has a certain energy to it. The Solent fills with boats, the Common comes back to life, and the sun, when it does appear, feels genuinely earned. It is the time of year when most people are at their most outdoorsy and...
Reader’s letter: Rioters from outside Southampton don’t see the lasting damage to our community
By Lori Foster, Councillor for Portswood. Portswood is a community of diversity, community and togetherness. After the dust of the 2nd June riots cleared, many of us, along with city council workers, headed up to clean and clear – to return order to our homes and streets. By 10am,...
Reader’s letter: When will this madness end?
By D A Jones. I understand the frustration and heartbreak over Henry Nowak, a young man, losing his life. I also understand why people feel let down by how the situation was handled in the immediate aftermath. But we also have to face a difficult truth: even if he...
Opinion: Saints set to keep faith with Tonda Eckert
By Graham Hiley. Saints seem to be adopting a siege mentality after finally breaking their silence over the “Spygate” scandal. After 12 days of nothing, chairman and owner Dragan Solak has at last come out and said he has no intention of sacking manager Tonda Eckert who has now...