Swindon's Conservatives may be about to hack at the core of Swindon Libraries, but they're not going to let that get in the way of capitalising on Libraries to win votes at tomorrow's local election.
However, some Tories seem to be having great trouble following their own plot.
Firstly, take a look at a section of two leaflets sent out by Barbara Parry, who's standing for the Conservatives in Covingham & Dorcan. The first leaflet was received about 2 weeks ago, the one below that, just this week :
Reading the first leaflet, you'd be forgiven for thinking if you live in Nythe you were about to get your own new library. Candidate Parry has confused that with a table-top SBC exercise to look into Liden (along with 5 other areas,
it's in section 3.45 and 3.46 here) at the range of community facilities they each have (including libraries).
An SBC asset stock-take and a new library are not the same thing, as are these two election leaflets.
Meanwhile in Lydiard & Freshbrook , Councillor Tim Swinyard has gone one better on this election leaflet :
He proclaims that the Link Centre library is safe and even says we'll end up with a "greater variety of locations and provision".
Seems foolish to prejudge the public survey which has just closed, but maybe he knows what's good for us and we don't.
It doesn't stop there!
Over in Wroughton, this section of an election leaflet has also been shoved through doors by Swindon Conservatives :
The leaflet claims only the Adver has said libraries would close or move. But even though this has been admitted in SBC documents if others don't take them over or the funding goes.
Yet another nonsensical twist.
And finally over in Highworth, they've promised the earth to voters, with 'Facts' and 'Not' and 'Will' (in capitals and underlined and bold and everything) :
Their first 'fact' is incorrect, there is a saving of £300,000 for this budget year sat against the Libraries budget, of which Highworth is funded from.
Their second and third 'facts' is quite a thing to promise, not to move or close it if SBC push through with the current plan to 2020, look for your parish tax going through the roof to pay for it!
It reads like a reactionary leaflet from an angry resident, but is actually an election leaflet for the same party that have proposed the cuts in the first place.
In short, from Covingham & Dorcan, to Lydiard & Freshbrook, via Wroughton and Highworth, it's clear that Swindon Conservatives haven't got a bloody clue what they're going to do with Swindon Libraries and have twisted themselves in such knots with this plot, they'll be hoping to do a Dallas and wake up to find it's all a dream.
Because at the moment, it looks like a nightmare to the residents and voters of Swindon.
