Is Swindon like a banana republic?

Councillor Nick Martin, Conservative, Shaw & Nine Elms, contemplates another bid for city status

I chose to live in Swindon 20 years ago; my wife and I are heavily involved in the community and our sons, both born at the PMH, attend a local secondary school. So my loyalties are clear when it comes to supporting Swindon. Why then do I think that the campaign for city status is a distraction from work of real importance?

Like patriotism in a banana republic, every politician is forced to wave the flag and cheer for fear of being seen to be disloyal. When Sue Bates and the controlling Labour Group lead the charge for city status, other party leaders have to fall in line because it would be politically incorrect not to do so.

My personal view is that in economic terms Swindon has been a city for years. From our position on the M4, the A419 and the main railway line we have been a magnet for business for the last three decades.

However, the infrastructure, the education, the culture and the history of Swindon requires years of work before it can be the envy of other towns and cities.

Swindon lacks a road transport system; it needs an inner ring road and an outer ring road. When it comes to transport the strategy for the town centre is fatally flawed. The Thirty Year Vision document talks blithely of light rail as a public transport system but gives no practical details. To have a city centre in 30 years time we need to design our transport corridors today.

Education in Swindon is failing our children and achieves GCSE results significantly below the national average. In terms of culture the Council takes only a passing interest in supporting the voluntary music sector; an area which could be developed to make a national impact. The university that the Council has spent millions on is only an outpost of Bath University that is used for MBA studies and not university degrees. Links with the military college at Shrivenham would be more fertile and far closer than Bath.

Historically the Mechanics Institute and the Locarno dance hall continue to rot and the Railway Museum looks worryingly empty. I could write much more but the point is that we should be planning and building our city now and not beating our chests about what we might be one day. I am proud of what has been achieved so far, but would prefer to be well on the way to victory before we claim the title of city.