I am really pleased to be selected for the Dorcan Ward in the May Elections.  I have lived in Swindon for over twenty four years and during that time I have worked in British Telecom, Rover and First Great Western among others.

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Steve says “I’m delighted to have been been selected for Labour in the ward where I have worked with the people for the last 8 years . Government funds to Swindon have been cut by millions and it will hit people in Toothill and Westlea hard over the coming 3 years. I will be contacting the MP to request his assistance in putting forward Swindon’s case for a better funding settlement. Our neighbouring councils have not been hit as hard Swindon has”.

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http://swindon-labour.co.uk/victor – In this video, Victor Agarwal gives info on himself, his 3 main pledges and how crucial this election is for North Swindon.

Only with a strong Labour MP can Tory-run Swindon Borough Council be held to account. Building on Michael Wills’ excellent record, Victor has pledged to work to attract new jobs, improve our schools and deal with social inequalities in our community.

The Tory alternative is cuts, cuts and more cuts, butchering public services and slashing jobs.

Don’t let the Tories wreck the recovery!

Hear what Victor Agarwal, who is standing as prospective MP, has to say. He is standing as the Labour Candidate for Swindon North Parliamentary seat. Made in conjunction with Swindon Civic Trust.

Today (Wednesday)  I visited Swindon College – indulging my passion for training and leaving a promise to come back for a post-election haircut!

The visit began with an excellent lunch in the college restaurant which is staffed by the catering students.  The meals are prepared by the Gordon Ramsey’s of tomorrow and guests can watch the food being prepared in the kitchen via the TV screen in the dining room.   I was extremely impressed by the delicious food and professionalism of the students, and thought the bread and butter pudding was the best I’ve ever tasted.   Then I was given a tour of the college facilities.  Including the art vocational training centre.   I saw first hand the great work that the college does with apprenticeships – particularly plumbing and engineering.

Many courses will benefit if the Labour Party is returned to government and can deliver its manifesto target of having 75% of young people going on to higher education or completing an advanced apprenticeship by the age of thirty.   I was pleased to hear that the college had signed a contract with Job Centre Plus which arose out of the Labour Party’s commitment to provide a either work, training, education or an apprenticeship to any 19-24 who has been unemployed for more than six months – a policy opposed by the Conservative Party.

I believe that the focus that the Labour Party has excellent policies on higher education.  It has given a boost to vocational training – which is crucial for a town like Swindon with a strong manufacturing base, and the Labour Party’s promise to fund 70,000 advanced apprenticeships is going to be vital to protect our economy and attract new well paying jobs in the future.

Then I spoke to a number of hairdressing students in the new enrichment centre, and was able to agree with them on the importance of the political process and the need to reinvigorate politics by taking steps such as the reduction of the voting age down to sixteen.   I also promised to return after the election to see the hairdressing facilities and would be delighted to try out a haircut!

My tour concluded with meeting Andrew Miller, the College Principal, who thanked me for highlighting the College’s important work and raised a number of issues which Victor I promised to pursue if elected as MP for North Swindon.

It’s great to see the progress being made at places like Swindon College.  Education and training are vital for our future and it is clear to see the benefits of labour’s investment in the sector.   If elected I would do everything in my power to ensure that we continue to improve funding in order to guaranty good jobs and a strong economy.

Victor Agarwal, Labour Candidate

Wow, Tuesday 20th was a big day:  the Prime Minister Gordon Brown came to Swindon with his wife Sarah and Ed Milliband also.

It was good to meet them and discuss some of the issues affecting the area.  Anne Snelgrove the South Swindon candidate was his PPS and knows him well.  It was great to have a tour of the Drove Peoples Campus with the Head-teacher and see for ourselves the difference Labour’s investment has made to the community.

Drove is not just a primary school, the staff, led by Nick Capstick, really push the envelope when it comes to running the school and trying out new things. The Campus also offers adult learning courses, health groups, family groups and even has its own radio show.

Anne and I welcomed Gordon before taking him on a tour of the Campus. We also met with around 70 people in the main hall to discuss issues ranging from healthcare in Swindon to citizenship.  It was very interesting to hear real people putting their questions to Gordon, Anne and I.

What Drove shows is that education in Swindon really has been revolutionised over the past 13 years. Not only have many schools been rebuilt or are completely new, but importantly, the funding per pupil has increased by a life-changing £1,000+. With this investment exam results have improved and we can be proud of our children and teachers that have worked so hard.

Labour will continue to invest in children’s education with things like one-to-one tuition for primary school pupils who need help to catch-up, raising the education leaving age to 18, and protecting Sure Start Centres.

What Gordon made absolutely clear was that Swindon’s economy is dependent upon securing the recovery. To risk it all by cutting support as the Tories want to, would send Swindon back and risk thousands of jobs. The choice is clear, Gordon Brown who handled the economic crisis and is securing the recovery and the Tories who have called it wrong throughout the recession and are wrong now on the recovery.

Victor Agarwal, Labour Candidate, N Swindon.

Tonight I’ll be talking to party members in Even Swindon Community Centre,  Jennings St,  Swindon Swindon SN2 2BG.

The meeting will be open to members of the public from 8pm to 9pm and all are welcome.

Victor Agarwal,  Labour Candidate, North Swindon victor4nswindon@googlemail.com

Saturday was another busy day of campaigning –  getting our Labour message across in Western Ward.   Several residents raised the issue of hunting,  and were concerned about Tory plans to restore fox-hunting.  Labour made fox hunting and other cruel sports illegal, and I fully support this policy.  A petition to ‘back the ban’ is available here.

Here I am with Mr Ali and his staff at the Curry Place on Rodbourne Road (The Lane) which is close to where I live. They were keen to show their support for my campaign, and I'm looking forward to visiting as many local pubs and restaurants as I can over the coming weeks and beyond. If you'd like to show the support of your pub or restaurant to my campaign please contact me through this website.

Victor Agarwal, Labour Candidate, N Swindon.

I’m Maureen Caton and I’m delighted to have been reselected to stand as Labour Candidate for Moredon Ward on May 6th.

I was Moredon Councillor for 18 years and served as the Borough’s Mayor in 1996/97.    I’ve lived in the ward for more than 20 years and strongly believe that the best way to serve the ward is by being at the heart of the community.  I have a good track record as an active councillor, standing up for residents and representing their concerns.

The success of the Swindon we know today is due to successive Labour led Councils in the 70’s, 80’s & 90’s.  Labour built a Swindon that is home to many national and multi-national companies, a Swindon with low unemployment and good leisure facilities and a Swindon with a stable economy.  Without the Labour Government it would have fared much worse in the recent recession, and independent experts think that Labour has saved at least 400,000 jobs which the Tories would have jettisoned.

I played an active part in framing the new Labour Manifesto for Swindon, and am keen to get back onto the Council to fight for these policies and to break up the Tory monopoly of Mordon seats.   Please email me your comments and concerns on maureen@maureencaton.co.uk

Hello, I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Jennifer Millin and I am your local Labour party candidate standing in the Swindon Borough elections on 6^th May 2010.    I am asking for your support to be your local Labour Party Councillor for the Covingham and Nythe ward.

I have worked for over 25 years in local government, and lived in the heart of Swindon for a large part of that time so I have a clear understanding of the problems we have here in this town.

One of which is the escalating problem of anti-social behaviour.  I have experienced this first hand, so I understand only too well that this is one of the big worrying issues here.

Anti-social behaviour is both destructive and corrupting.  It is not only a self-fulfilling prophecy for the perpetrator, but also a destructive and corrupting influence for the community as a whole,  effecting the quality if life for all of society both young and old.

I believe that the lack of youth provision for both younger and older teenagers must be a major contributor to this increasing problem. Our youth need to be stimulated and have a focus, so as your elected councillor one of my first priorities will be to bring together the various agencies involved in youth culture to see what can be done to improve and expand facilities for these young members of our society.

Another concern is the effort experienced by the disabled members of our community in getting around the town and this ward.  As a person with walking difficulties myself I appreciate that mobility for the disabled in Swindon can be a problem. Uneven pavings, rutted and narrow pavements, kerbs and untreated slippery surfaces – all of these cause real problems for the disabled. As your councillor I will be assessing where these problems are in Covingham and Nythe then putting pressure on our Tory controlled council to make repairs and improvements.

Although these issues are a high priority for me, they are by no means the only concerns that I shall be addressing if I am elected your councillor.  To this end I would be  pleased to hear of any other community problems that you feel need addressing.  As your local councillor rest assured I will do my very best to try to resolve as many of these as I am able.

Jennifer Millin, 42 Bramble Road, Swindon SN2 8DS.  Email frostyfilly@gmail.com