Tom Butcher and Repi Begum, who represent St Margaret & South Martson and Freshbrook & Lydiard Park respectively were welcomed into the Greens by party leader Zack Polanski during a visit to the town on Wednesday (22 October).
Polanski, who became Green Party leader last month, said the party is growing rapidly across the UK, with membership increasing by up to 90 percent in recent weeks.
“We’ve just hit 130,000 members, and we’re adding thousands every single day,” he said.
“People are joining us because they’re tired of command-and-control politics from the top down.
“The Green Party is a fully democratic party – one member, one vote – and our councillors’ first duty is to serve their communities.”
Councillor Begum said she would continue to represent her ward and had no plans to stand down, avoiding what she described as a “costly by-election”.
“The council doesn’t have that kind of money, and neither do residents,” she said.
“My focus is still social justice and the environment – but Labour isn’t going far enough.
“There’s so much more we can do to champion renewables, electric vehicles and a greener Swindon.”
Councillor Butcher said the Green Party better aligned with his values of “fairness, openness, and practical change”.
Polanski said the move reflected a broader trend of disaffected Labour councillors seeking to regain the ability to speak freely.
“I meet former Labour councillors across the country who say they’ve been silenced or muzzled,” he said.
“They went into politics for the right reasons but have found they can’t represent their residents properly.
“The Greens give them that freedom back.”
Addressing national issues, Polanski criticised what he described as “scare stories” surrounding migration and said eco-populism offered a vision of fairness and empowerment.
“Small boats make up about five percent of migration but 95 percent of the headlines,” he said.
“As a Jew and grandchild of refugees, I believe the British thing to do is to show dignity to people fleeing war and persecution.”
He added that migration supported the economy through staffing shortages and an ageing population.
Polanski said his goal was to push the Labour government by building support for the Greens.
“For too long Labour has tried to appease the right – especially on immigration – instead of challenging the wealth and power of the super-rich,” he said.
“That’s why people like Repi and Tom are leaving.
“They’re drawing a line and joining a party that is bold, authentic, and ready to serve.”
He concluded: “Green politics is no longer a fringe idea – it’s the future.
“The fact that this is happening here in Swindon shows that hope, honesty and real democracy are alive and growing.”
