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Swindon council's cross-party Finance Recovery Board proposed

Looking back, 25 June 2026: Swindon Borough Council's Conservative administration invited other parties to join a Finance Recovery Board recommended by a CIPFA review. Reform UK agreed to take part and Labour asked for more detail.

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Looking backThis story covers news from . Swindo wrote it later from the published source, and published it on 12 November 2026. More from that day

Last updated: 12 November 2026

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Swindo headline card: Swindon council's cross-party Finance Recovery Board proposed
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Swindon24 reported on Thursday 25 June 2026 that Swindon Borough Council was setting up a Finance Recovery Board, bringing together councillors from different parties to oversee the recovery of the council's finances.

The board was recommended in a review of the council's finances carried out by CIPFA earlier in 2026.

Why was it proposed?

Councillor Keith Williams, the cabinet member for finance, said the council faced significant long-term financial pressures and that the Conservatives had approached the other main groups to work together. He blamed the previous Labour administration, saying: "Their legacy to Swindon is an overspend until at least 2028".

Where did the other parties stand?

  • Reform UK confirmed it would join. Group leader Sara Godwin said: "Joining the board does not mean we will support every proposal that comes forward." She said the group would judge each decision on its merits.
  • Labour had not committed. Group leader Jim Robbins said his group wanted more detail and the reasoning behind the board first. He pointed to the existing budget scrutiny and audit committees and a planned finance overview and scrutiny committee, and questioned the value of so many committees. He defended Labour's record and credited the Government's fairer-funding plans for an improvement in the council's finances.

The report gave no date for the board's first meeting and no list of members or terms of reference.

Source: Swindon24.

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