The Swindon Advertiser reported recently that only 18 people had commented on where the proposed Council cuts should fall.  Residents are being asked to chose between cuts in play services, Connections services, Swindon direct, Country Ground fitness services, daycare services and  supported employment.  But why are these the only cuts being consulted on – when [...]

David Miliband gave a stirring talk to more than 200 Labour supporters in the Punjabi Community Centre, Kembry Street last night (18th August).  He highlighted the damage caused by only 100 days of Tory govermnent – and it is a Tory government since the fig leaf of the LibDems have allowed them to be more [...]

I was Labour’s candidate in the May 2010 elections for Eastcott.  During the the election I heard the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg  and local LibDems attack secret Tory secret plans to increase VAT.    Even more recently Simon Hughes (LibDem MP) said “I hope we don’t have a VAT increase because it is the most regressive form of [...]

The news that Swindon Town Centre’s economy is in serious peril, is alarming but not surprising. The Tory Council have failed to regenerate the Town Centre.  They have had 8 years in power in Swindon and yet our Town Centre is still scarred by wasteland, derelict buildings, and eyesores.

We know by now that the Tory budget is leading to job cuts, holding back economic growth and damaging the public services we all rely on.  The Tories have broken their promise to be fair –  with tax increases and benefit cuts that will hit hardest at the people who can least afford it.  Their [...]

This weekend I had the pleasure of joining thousands of others at the Swindon Mela. It was great to see so many local residents from such different back grounds come together to enjoy the varied entertainment on offer, not to mention the mouth watering food! I had the privilege of meeting some fantastic people including [...]

Local residents are being invited to give their views on what their council will look like as the independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England begins an electoral review of Swindon Borough Council today(20th July 2010).
The review will consider changes to the number of councillors on the council as well as [...]

As Labour Group spokesman for Transport and the Environment I was delighted to receive an early copy of the Swindon Civic Trust Strategy 2010-2013.  The Trust are campaigning on many of the issues that Labour fought the last Borough election on, and are committed to the sort of localism in planning and politics which was [...]

Over the next few months, millions of people who care about Britain’s progressive future will help choose the next leader of the Labour Party – you can play your part today.
If you want to help shape Britain’s progressive future, you can get involved right now.
Thousands of people have already joined Labour because they want to [...]

Some of us considered the Tory budget in Swindon as irresponsible in that they under-funded Adult Social Care and put £2.5M into general reserves in the expectation that it would probably be needed to top up Adult Social Care.
That stupidity has come home to roost with a vengeance.
While it could be contended that the very [...]