Labour take control of Swindon Council
Labour group leader Jim Robbins was elected leader of the council unanimously.
Swindon is, for the first time in two decades, a Labour-run town.
The party took control of Swindon Borough Council at this month’s elections now having 33 seats, a majority of nine in the Euclid Street chamber.
And in the council’s annual meeting, the first since the election, Labour group leader Jim Robbins was elected leader of the council unanimously, with even Conservative councillors raising their hand in favour of having him take charge.
Almost Coun Robbins’ first words as leader were in praise of the previous leader of the council Conservative David Renard who lost his seat at the elections on May 4.
Coun Robbins said: “I’d like to thank David Renard for his very gracious words to me at the election count. He was very generous at what was a difficult time.”
He went on: “We are here because we won a large number of seats at the election and it is humbling to have that faith put in us. It is a massive mandate for what we want to do, and we really want to deliver on what we said.
“This is a time of significant financial challenge for local government so it won’t be possible to deliver on everything we want to, straight away.
“But we will start on the three pledges we have set ourselves; addressing inequality, building a better Swindon so it can be the town we want it to be for the next 20 to 30 years and really committing to our net zero pledges.”
Coun Robbins has also named his cabinet.
Emma Bushell is deputy leader and also has the role of cabinet member for organisational oversight.
Kevin Small; has the finance job, Ray Ballman is in charge of adult’s social care and Paul Dixon children’s social care.
The housing portfolio has gone to Janine Howarth while Chris Watts, who has returned to the borough council after some years away has the environment and transport role, and Marina Strinkovsky is the member for culture, art and heritage.
Adorabelle Shaikh has a cabinet role to go with her duties as the consort of the new deputy Mayor her husband Imtiyaz Shaikh. She will be in charge of education, and former group leader Jim Grant is the member for communities and joint working.
The annual meeting started with a minute’s silence for the Labour member for St Margaret and South Marston Pam Adams who dies suddenly last weekend.