According to Labour councillors in Swindon, wanting to put local residents and veterans at the front of the queue is “racist dog whistle”. You may recognise that term as the one used by senior Labour MP Lucy Powell about the scandal of the rape gangs which have blighted parts of this country, including Swindon.
And now, it’s being used by those on the left who wish to shut down debate about immigration which Swindon Conservatives tried to have last week. The reason we were heckled by the left is because we sought to put local people first, something which is currently not happening.
As of 21st June 2025, Swindon had housed 539 Asylum Seekers and only 376 Swindon residents in temporary accommodation. This is a rate of 143% asylum seekers housed compared to homeless households and I and my colleagues believe this is wrong.
You can shout “shame” all you want – it won’t stop me doing what I believe is right. Putting local people first is not shameful – it is our job.
I won’t be silenced by the performative outrage of Labour and Lib Dem councillors who think they can shut down debate by calling anyone who is concerned about the unsustainable levels of immigration into this country as “racist”.
Swindon is a proud, hard-working borough, built on the dedication of its people – families, veterans, and young folk who breathe life into our community.
Yet, today, many feel like second-class citizens in their own town. Local families languish on housing waiting lists, some for years, while our young Swindonians struggle to rent, let alone buy a home, and veterans, who served our nation, deserve better than temporary accommodation.
Meanwhile, we see Houses of Multiple Occupation let to councils at inflated rates – up to £1,300 per room per month, a 268% increase in some cases, paid by us, the taxpayers.
These contracts take properties out of the private rental market, pushing rents beyond the reach of our children, who dream of starting families here. This isn’t fair, and it isn’t sustainable.
Our country welcomed people from the Caribbean, India and all across the Commonwealth as far back as the 50’s. We opened our arms to Hungarian refugees after the 1956 uprising, Vietnamese refugees, Ugandan Asians in the 1970s and those fleeing Chile after the 1973 coup.
Additionally, the UK has supported refugees from Bosnia in the 1990s. More recently, we have welcomed those escaping regime change in Hong Kong and war in Ukraine and those who served with us in Afghanistan.
But what we are seeing now is different. What we are facing now is thousands of undocumented young men coming into this country and people are angry and frightened.
There have been many cases of women and girls being assaulted by these illegal immigrants – and I call them that because you do not need to seek refuge from France, which is where they have come from.
Far from “smashing the gangs” Starmer and Labour have overseen a 42% increase in channel crossings. And with representatives like Labour’s Cllr Repi Begum in Swindon, who has called for us Conservatives to be given suitable reading material to re-educate us, or her colleague Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, who accused us of “naked xenophobia” for daring to put the motion forward, it’s easy to see why.
My Conservative colleagues and I are steadfast in the belief that local people should come first. Swindon has been a dumping ground in the South West for the Home Office, encouraged no doubt by Labour making us a ‘City of Sanctuary’.
We called for change. We called for local families, veterans and young people to be prioritised for housing. We called for a review of HMO contracts and to ensure local people can afford housing. And we called for transparency in how your money is spent.
Swindonians are fair-minded. We welcome those who integrate and contribute, but charity starts at home. Our young people, our families, our veterans – they are the heart of this borough.
Many of our people are feeling that they are being left behind instead of being one of the first in the queue. Let’s not let them be priced out or pushed aside.
The Conservative Group in Swindon stands for fairness and community. This motion was to put Swindonians first, to honour our legacy, and to ensure our children can build their futures here.
Labour and the Lib Dems rejected it – and tried to smear us for even discussing it. But – and I will say it again – we won’t be silenced. After this, we will only get louder.
We all need to wake up now to Labour’s devious plan; to steal Swindon from Swindonians and turn it into a ‘Sanctuary City’.
Councillor Daniel Adams is the Conservative borough councillor on Swindon Borough Council representing St Andrews Ward