The new deputy council leader of the London borough of Southwark is dating a man who was jailed for stealing £130,000 from his employer. Including almost £30,000 from a refugee charity…
Southwark Council is now run as of this week by a coalition from hell of the Greens and Liberal Democrats. Its deputy is now the LibDem group leader Victor Chamberlain, whose longtime partner, Simon Burke, was convicted in July 2021. And jailed for two and a half years…
Reports from the time said Burke “worked as an events director in Milton Keyes and used his position to doctor invoice payments to display his own bank details.” He was found to have taken £103,660.80 from the company for his own financial gain and also “de-frauded £28,000 from the company which was intended to be donated to a charity to help refugees in another country.” He was arrested on 11 December 2019 and was charged on 11 March 2020…
Investigating officer PC Jonathan Holt said at the time:
“What makes this crime even more shocking is that he was willing to take money that was earmarked for a charitable donation, which would have helped vulnerable refugees in need of aid in a foreign country.
I am satisfied that Burke has been sentenced and that he has faced up to his crime by pleading guilty.”
In 2024 Burke went on to open an “inclusive LGBTQ+ pub with a cabaret stage” the borough of Southwark called The Rising, which features on Chamberlain’s register of interests. It received permission from Southwark Council in the same year to open “London’s first LGBTQ+ cinema.” He “decided to take over the lease to create this swanky venue – despite never having owned a pub before”…
Chamberlain is also chairman of the council-run Pride in Southwark programme. Next month an official council-supported Pride “after-party” will take place at his boyfriend’s bar. Welcome to your new council…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”