TROUBLED Mayor of Swindon, Nick Martin, has hit back at his critics ahead of a crucial vote of no confidence in his position.

Calling the motion a ‘vicious political attack’, he has accused the Labour group at Swindon Council of bullying and ignoring proper procedures, but could not deny the accusations levelled at him.

The mayor is alleged to have used the word ‘mongol’ in a meeting about care for disabled adults. “I am not certain whether I used the wrong word or not,” he said.

“If I used the wrong name for something someone should have picked me up on it. This is a political attack on the mayorship, which happens to be me.”

Yesterday it was revealed Mayor Martin had offered his resignation in exchange for the complaints against him being dropped.

“The business about me offering to resign was a private conversation, where it was said a mess was being made of the mayoral situation,” he said. “I said that I have broad shoulders but if they wanted to clear the deck then I would walk away.

“There seems to be a level of vindictiveness that the Labour group refuse to withdraw their objections and will hold this vote before the standards board report.

“They have almost done enough to bring me down, but I am not going to give them the satisfaction of walking away from their mess.”