Held at Create Studios and watched by a live audience including first-time voters, the debate brought together Jim Robbins for Labour, Gary Sumner for the Conservatives, Tom Butcher for the Green Party, Casey Sherwood for Reform UK and Stan Pajak for the Liberal Democrats.
While candidates often agreed on the scale of the challenges facing Swindon, they offered very different diagnoses of how the town reached this point, and how it should move forward.
Council finances quickly became one of the defining themes of the evening, with repeated clashes over debt, spending and the future of council services.
Conservative candidate Gary Sumner criticised Labour’s handling of council assets, accusing the administration of “selling your pension” after disposing of an industrial estate which previously generated income for the council.
Reform UK’s Casey Sherwood, who previously worked for Swindon Borough Council, claimed he had witnessed “a lot of wastage” during his time there and argued tighter controls were needed over procurement and contracts.
Labour leader Jim Robbins defended the council’s financial position and challenged suggestions the authority remained dependent on emergency government support at the levels previously reported.
“We’ve managed to do that and cut our costs without affecting frontline services,” he said.
Green Party candidate Tom Butcher argued rising adult and children’s social care costs were driving many of the council’s financial pressures, saying the authority needed to move away from “private profiteering companies” delivering care services.
The long-running closure and redevelopment delays surrounding the Oasis Leisure Centre produced some of the strongest reactions of the night.
Gary Sumner said the council should consider “legal options” to break ties with Seven Capital, accusing the developer of repeatedly failing to deliver progress.
Casey Sherwood struck a more personal tone, saying:
“I’m gutted I can’t take my kids there, because I had some great childhood memories there.”
Jim Robbins defended the council’s approach, pointing to recent progress on operator agreements and warning:
“We haven’t got a spare £30 million pounds to spend on the Oasis.”
Meanwhile Tom Butcher called for the Oasis to become
“a green oasis with renewable energy at its core”.
One of the sharpest ideological divides emerged when candidates were asked about Swindon’s growing cluster of defence and drone manufacturing companies.
Both Labour and Conservatives welcomed the investment, describing it as an opportunity to bring skilled advanced manufacturing jobs back to the town.
Jim Robbins said he was “absolutely delighted” to see Swindon reconnecting with its engineering heritage, while Gary Sumner called the investment “fantastic”.
But Green Party candidate Tom Butcher directly challenged the ethics behind the industry’s growth.
“These are weapons of war that are being made,” he said.
“The more drone companies that come here, put down their roots to stay long term, means that there are more bombs being dropped around the world.”
Casey Sherwood said he would not “turn away any investment” into Swindon, while Stan Pajak highlighted the wider technological opportunities drone companies could bring to the town.
Housing pressures and the rising cost of children’s services also featured heavily throughout the debate.
Tom Butcher called for significantly more council house building, saying:
“We have over four year waiting lists for council housing at the moment.”
Jim Robbins said Labour was attempting to balance investment in existing housing stock while also building new homes, while Gary Sumner argued the Conservatives had previously delivered successful housing developments in the town.
On children’s services, candidates discussed the rising costs of placements and the growing number of children being housed outside Swindon.
Tom Butcher summarised the Green Party’s approach with the line:
“Swindon homes for Swindon children.”
Jim Robbins defended the council’s plans to create its own children’s homes in Swindon, saying:
“We can’t afford to be reckless with those young people’s lives.”
A question from the audience around declining mental health among young people produced some of the debate’s most personal moments.
Casey Sherwood spoke about his own family’s experiences, telling the audience:
“My daughter’s 13, and she’s been trying to see CAMHS for eight months.”
Jim Robbins acknowledged serious concerns around access to mental health services in Swindon, while Tom Butcher argued many young people felt their future opportunities were shrinking due to housing pressures and economic insecurity.
Candidates from all parties also backed stronger involvement for young people in local politics, including support for some form of youth parliament or youth council in Swindon.
Closing the debate, candidates made final appeals to voters ahead of polling day.
Jim Robbins urged residents not to use the election as “a protest vote”, while Gary Sumner argued Swindon needed “an experienced Conservative team” to get the council “back on track”.
Tom Butcher said the Green Party wanted to bring “hope back to politics”, Casey Sherwood said Reform UK would challenge the way the council operates, and Stan Pajak argued Liberal Democrat councillors could play a key role in what may become a tightly balanced council.
Polling stations open across Swindon on Thursday.
