Swindon Election : Town Tories Silent on Honda Accord for Brexit

'Strong and stable' may be Theresa's mantra, but for Swindon's incumbent MPs 'silent and still' would suit on the Honda Brexit elephant in the room.

The government has promised Sunderland's Nissan something (but has not admitted it), no doubt officials from Honda UK have been keen to get similar treatment, but nothing has been revealed in public.

But never mind our MPs since June last year, who have gone into the election campaign without a word about the 3,500 workforce's future outside the EU, or those many thousands locally in the supply chain for the South Marston plant that will depend on whatever deal is eventually struck on exiting the EU.

The industrial backbone (along with at least 3,500 voters) of Swindon deserves better treatment from it's local incumbent Tory candidates.

Swindon's Rotten Parishes : Council WILL Force Legally-Questionable Parishing Whatever Residents Think

Swindon South MP Robert Buckland has shot more holes in Swindon Borough Council's Swiss Cheese proposal enforcing of parishes.

Yes, it is enforcing, as the cabinet paper for the final option, will be printed within 2 weeks of the public consultation closing.

Meanwhile the councillor responsible for parishing doesn't have answers to most questions on it.

Plus, SBC's wishful thinking is that businesses in the centre of Swindon will pay a one-off VOLUNTARY contribution of £400,000 towards sustaining the Town Centre parish through until after the 2018 elections until a more sustainable solution has been found.

Komadori's blistering post of their reply to the consultation shows how legally questionable the  rotten parishing of Swindon is.

And just to give one more example of SBC's North Korean attitude to and understanding of democracy, it's said that unless Stratton Parish Council takes on StreetSmart services (despite Stratton having a referendum on extending parishing powers, which they rejected, a basic bit of democracy that's been denied to the rest of Swindon) SBC will simply stop carrying them out.

That's not an option, that's an ultimatum.

These councillors are acting with reckless disregard for Swindon's residents and the democratic process. And they don't care, they really don't.

The Mayor of Simpleton

 How strange it would be if the Queen was to vote in a Commons or Lords situation, shaking the foundations of the system.

On a local level, that's about to happen in Swindon.

The Conservative Group have a majority of one in the recent local council elections, which means in the event of a tie, the Mayor (which is largely a ceremonial position, despite the selected mayor being an elected councillor) will, like-never-before, be called upon to cast the deciding vote. The new Mayor, Councillor Mick Bray (Conservative, of the Lydiard and Freshbrook ward) may find it increasingly difficult to justify his position as he votes on issues in the council chamber one moment, then remains non-political whilst grinning for the cameras and having cake at his official mayor duties the next.

 Swindon Centric Says ; We live in interesting times.

Big Bus Push for Big Arts Day

The link between art and public transport is well known and Swindon will be practicing just that on Saturday, with a dedicated bus service for the Big Arts Day.

Swindon Borough-owned Thamesdown Transport will be running a special service, the 1X every 20 minutes from Fleming Way to Lydiard Park from 12pm until 3pm and from 4.40pm until 7.40pm.

Return services will depart Wilmot Close (just outside the Tregoze Way entrance to Lydiard Park) from 12.14pm until 15.14pm and from 4.54pm until 7.54pm.

There's also Thamesdown's regularly scheduled no. 1 and 1A that runs to Grange Park and along Tregoze Way.

Swindon Centric Says ; A bus and art mega day in a leafy part of town, what more does one need?

Car Compassionate Conservatives (With a Large C)

Fairness and equality were given a good kicking last week, transport-wise.

A town-centre car parking charges cut was announced (and passed), followed by transport budget cuts to several bus services.

The cherry on top of the cake is that the deal-breaker for the Union Square redevelopment deal with MUSE seems to hinge on the council spending £11 million to buy a to-be-built car park on the site, which for MUSE makes the scheme viable.

So in summary,

the council is cutting car parking charges in the town centre, to get more people in...

... at the same time cutting bus services, so those without cars can't reach said town centre or other places...

... and is being held-hostage by the only developer interested in the last-surviving town centre regeneration scheme, to operate a car park, at a cost of £11 million to Swindon Borough Council, which will take maybe a decade to recoup the money.

While the same report said the council need to reduce their car-parking capacity to save money.

Swindon Centric Says ; Maybe some enterprising council wonk will come up with an idea for Thamesdown and V Bus to park all their surplus-to-requirements vehicles in the empty car park spaces? Charging them for it, or course.