The recent election has brought a significant change for Swindon, with the council moving into no overall control and my time as Leader coming to an end.
It has been a privilege to hold that role, and naturally I am disappointed. But public service is never about one person – it is about the progress we make for our town together.
And that progress is real.
Just last week, Swindon was chosen as the home of Europe’s largest MOD drone testing and development centre – a major national investment that will bring highly skilled jobs and cement our place at the forefront of advanced technology.
This didn’t happen overnight. It reflects years of work to position Swindon as a centre for innovation and is built on our strong reputation for advanced manufacturing and it shows what is possible when we are ambitious for our town.
I was also incredibly proud to see Swindon council officers recognised at the LGC Awards. These are among the most respected awards in local government, and they highlight something we sometimes take for granted: the professionalism and dedication of the people who keep services running and deliver real improvements for residents.
Against that backdrop of achievement, the political picture is more complicated. The election left the council finely balanced, with Conservatives on 23 seats, Labour on 19 and Reform on 14.
No party has a majority, which means decisions now depend on how councillors work together.
Before the Annual Meeting, we were told clearly and repeatedly that there would be no arrangement between the Conservatives and Reform. Yet in practice, we have seen them repeatedly vote together to install the Conservatives as the new administration, taking a disproportionately large number of paid roles, and hand Reform councillors key committee roles.
The Conservatives and Reform insist that no deal has been done, leaving residents to draw their own conclusions.
No overall control can work, but only if it is built on openness, consistency and genuine collaboration.
We haven’t seen that yet, but I’m hopeful that the new administration will step up. It should be about bringing people together in the interests of Swindon – not saying one thing and doing another.
Despite the change in leadership, my optimism for Swindon remains strong. The foundations we have laid – in investment, economic growth, and community ambition as well as our clear long-term missions to build a Fairer, Greener and Better Swindon – are still there.
The opportunity now is for all councillors to build on that and keep moving the town forward.
For my part, alongside my 18 Labour and Co-operative Group colleagues, we will continue to serve and speak up for Swindon, just as we always have. Because while roles change, our commitment to this town will not.
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