Cross-party effort launched to tackle financial challenges facing Swindon Council

A cross-party effort has been launched to address long-term financial challenges facing Swindon Borough Council. The Conservative administration, returned to power after several years of Labour control, has proposed a Finance Recovery Board to respond to budget problems it says were inherited. Councillor Keith Williams, cabinet member for finance, said Labour’s figures did not add up and left an overspend “until at least 2028,” with residents paying until 2048. The Conservatives claim a £5 million shortfall for 2025–26 will require additional borrowing over 20 years, adding £500,000 per year in interest and repayments and reducing frontline funding. The proposal follows a CIPFA audit published in January 2026, and the council must refinance £110 million of borrowing soon.