Labour leader Jim Robbins pledges better future for Swindon

A column from Swindon Labour leader Jim Robbins.

It is usual at this time of year to pause, take stock and think about making plans for the next year.

That is certainly what the Swindon Labour Group have been doing in light of the December revelation that there is a budget gap of £38m at the council.

We have a revenue budget of around £160m, so we will need to cut around a quarter of our expenditure in 2023.

Whilst the high inflation rate is a big reason for the gap, the financial mismanagement of the local Conservatives who have racked up a £350m debt in Swindon with very little to show for it except costly monthly repayments and the crashing of the economy by the national Conservatives as they lurched through three Prime Ministers and unleashed failed economic strategies on the country have also had a huge impact.

The services that Swindon residents rely on to protect their families and improve their lives are now all at risk

The Conservative leader of the council has said that all services are on the table for cuts as we try to find a way to balance the budget.

The Labour Group have a plan. We want to change the direction of the council. For too long, the Conservatives have focused on development and helping developers.

We have all been sat in traffic as major roadworks overrun and cost the Swindon taxpayer millions.

Labour wants to refocus on supporting Swindon’s people and getting them though the cost-of-living crisis.

We will target your money at helping fight inequality in the town, supporting small local businesses and the local economy and protecting the services that you value the most.

We will be a listening council who ensure we take decisions with residents instead of forcing decisions on to people.

We want to make sure residents are included in the decisions about cuts so that we can protect the most needed services and make savings in areas that we don’t need to prioritise such as costly roadworks projects.

Whilst it will undoubtedly be tough to remove so much money from our budgets, we are certain that Swindon will weather this latest storm and that we can still build a fairer, healthier and more prosperous town that works in partnership with residents.

With big local elections coming in May, there is plenty for us to look forward to.