Swindon elections: second round of results sees Conservatives move closer to majority A gain of a seat and two holds saw Swindon’s Conservatives move serenely towards a majority. The party held Chiseldon & Lawn in a by-election, and Lydiard & Freshbrook. The councillor there, Matty Courtliff, won the seat in a bit of a shock as a Labour councillor, defecting to the ruling Tories in 2019. The Conservatives also regained Haydon Wick. It had been held by Oliver Donachie, a Conservative cabinet member until May 2020 when he left the party and group to set up a two-councillor Independent Tory group. His threat to do damage to the Conservatives never materialised. His vote of 896 was 500 voted behind the new Conservative councillor John Jackson’s 1469.
LOCAL ELECTIONS
Clockwise from top left: Matty Courtliff (Conservative), Glynis Hales (Green), Trish Philpot (Labour), Julie Jones (Independent) and Chris Shepherd (Lib Dem) are standing in Lydiard and Freshbrook Forming one of the boundaries of Swindon with the rest of Wiltshire, Lydiard & Freshbrook is a mixed bag of a ward. As its name suggests the ward contains the jewel in Swindon’s architectural heritage – Lydiard House. The parkland that goes with the Palladian stately home is one of the most popular places to visit in the borough – and particularly over the last year has a been a lifeline to those in Swindon who needed a space to be outside but who were not willing, able, or legally allowed to travel further afield.
By Dale Heenan
Cllr Dale Heenan at the Health Hydro, Milton road is getting £5m funding..Pic - Dale Heenan.Date 16/12/2020.Pic by Dave Cox.. A recent interview with Peter Boucher, the CEO of Excalibur Communications, in this paper has hit on a key point, which shouldn’t be lost on any Swindonian. “We must be more positive about our town. If all people hear is negative things then that is all they know. Swindon has its challenges like all towns and cities, but as this experienced businessman says the first and main thing I noticed was that most of the locals spent their time apologising for the town, and for no real reason…. it has a lot going for it.”