Cllr Rob Heath has left Labour and aligned himself with the Greens, saying he has grown disillusioned with Labour’s local and national direction.
Cllr Heath said:
“For most of my life I have been a committed Labour voter and member. Recent decisions, such as removing the Winter Fuel Allowance and adopting rhetoric on immigration aimed at appealing to Reform Party voters, means it no longer reflects the values that first brought me into Labour.
Labour won an election with a manifesto based on change, but have yet to adopt policies to reduce wealth inequality, which is affecting the most vulnerable.”
He said he was concerned that Labour’s economic approach prioritises the approval of financial markets over investment in communities. He added that Modern Monetary Theory provides what he believes to be clearer limits and opportunities for public spending.
Cllr Heath said:
“I have also become increasingly concerned that Labour is tied to economic thinking that prioritises the approval of financial markets over investment in people and communities. Modern Monetary Theory offers a clearer understanding of the real limits and opportunities of public spending. The Green Party is the only party embracing the kind of bold, humane approach we need for the benefit of both people and the planet.
I am therefore joining the Green Party and will continue working hard for the residents of Priory Vale with integrity, honesty, and a focus on people first.”
He now sits alongside Green councillors Tom Butcher, Ian Edwards and Repi Begum.
Green group leader Cllr Tom Butcher said:
“We are really pleased to welcome Rob. We have only recently formed our group and our numbers are already growing. This comes at a time when membership and public support for the Greens is rising sharply. We will continue to build, offering a real alternative of hopeful and bold politics for the people of Swindon.”
Cllr Heath’s move comes as the Green Party records significant national gains under leader Zack Polanski. Membership has more than doubled to well over one hundred and fifty thousand. National polling has placed the party at around seventeen per cent in several surveys, and support among younger adults has risen quickly, particularly in the eighteen to twenty five age group.
In Swindon, party numbers have risen from 100 to just over 400.
Polanski recently visited Swindon as part of a national tour focused on meeting communities. His emphasis on social justice, reducing wealth inequality and broad economic reform has contributed to the party’s rising profile.
