If the Lib Dems learn anything from their Swindon campaign this election, it's get someone professional to do your leaflets.
And don't just photograph each candidate in front of the same ambulance at the Orbital in separate photos. At least Liz Webster's North Swindon leaflet doesn't feature bits of ambulance sticking out of her torso as her South Swindon colleague's does.
The spinning of the loss of Section 106 monies from North Swindon is now being called a gain (page 6 of the latest addition of the Link Magazine) by Swindon Borough Council Leader, Rod Bluh.
But, we're all use to it, as followers of Swindon's shameful dalliance in council-funded wi-fi failure, Digital City Limited. Now the political spin used to debatable effect on that mess is being employed to save face on developers money mysteries for North Swindon residents.
The money was originally allocated, mostly for road improvements (notably for building the missing link between Thamesdown Drive and Great Western Way), which never took place. The money was at risk of going back to the developers, but the council renegotiated for a far smaller amount for differing works, some of which has been spent outside of the North Swindon area.
But the loss of the original amount is still being called a gain, as we could have lost all of it, this is the belief of Mr. Bluh. In the same way that the flushing away of £400,000 to Digital City (who achieved not a single of their own business targets) has been spun as to be 'repaid' by UK Broadband, who have entered an entirely separate I.T. contract that is not connected with the Wi-Failed project.
Swindon Centric Says ; But in Swindon's, increasingly appearing to be, calm-down-dear-trust-me-I'm-in-charge/patronising form of governing, it's only to be expected.
If a promise or policy is broken in Swindon, you'll probably hear a slight variation on this fluffiest-of-fluffy phrases as used by Mr. Bluh at the end of this month's Link Magazine article on it, "I think we followed the spirit of the agreement."
