09/05/05 - All Change At Swindon Council

Ready for the beginning of the new Council year, each group has made changes to their Leadership teams on Swindon Council.

Conservative Group

Cllr Mike Bawden has been re-elected as Conservative Group Leader and therefore Council Leader.

Cllr Mike Bawden has been Group Leader for the Conservatives since Swindon Council was formed in 1997.

Cllr Roderick Bluh (Dorcan Ward) has been elected as the Conservative Deputy Group Leader.

Cllr Bluh was elected in 2004 as Councillor for Dorcan Ward. He is 49, a chartered accountant, and lives and works in Old Town.

Labour Group

The Labour Group on Swindon Council has changed its leader again!!!

The decision to re-elect Cllr Kevin Small (again!) has come as suprise as he repeatadly ruled out any challenge on Cllr David Nash throughout the last year.

Maybe one day, one of them will last beyond 12 months?!

Who needs enemies when you have friends like the Labour Group?!

Cllr Kevin Small's deputy will be Cllr Barrie Thompson, completing a full return to the old left, which not only means a return to 'Rocketing Council Tax plans', but also disasterous election defeats which have blighted Cllr Small's leadership.  Labour Councillors will be dreading next May's local elections, with electoral meltdown expected again, as with previous years under his, 'spend, spend, spend' leadership.

Cllr Barrie Thompson is famously proud of his Communist roots, thankfully the Labour Group is in freefall, and local residents are currently safe from him getting his hands of the levers of power!

Liberal Democrats

Cllr Wendy Johnson (Old Town & Lawn) has become Group Leader, replaced Cllr Chris Shephard (Freshbrook & Grange Park).

2004/05 was a very difficult year for the Lib Dems.  Two Councillors resigned from the Group, leaving them with only 5 Councillors.

Both Cllr Johnson and Cllr Shephard will have to defend Council seats in areas won by the Conservatives last time in next May's local elections.  Defeat would mean the Liberal group would need to book a phone box for any future group meetings!