SWINDON is Euro-centric and we must not let leaving the European Union damage the town, a senior councillor has said.

Stan Pajak, leader of the Swindon Liberal Democrats, has warned of a potential hit to the town’s economy if the UK’s exit from Europe is mishandled.

He said: “So much depends on what happens after we leave Europe. If we were suddenly to have barriers to those industries that rely on Europe, we could well see a decline in Swindon, which is not what we want.”

Since the 2016 referendum, the party has positioned itself as the main opponents of Brexit. But for Coun Pajak, this is as much down to the fear of unintended economic consequences for Swindonians as much as ideological commitment to the European project.

He believes, like many, that Brexit remains one the biggest challenges facing the town in the coming years. But he also suspects that a lot of ordinary people are largely fed-up with the subject and that, ultimately, it is local issues that decide local elections.

Coun Pajak has long been an advocate of what he calls “a consensus council”, a less adversarial and politically charged milieu in which more focus is placed on finding cross-party solutions agreeable to all, or at least the vast majority, of members.

“I have always been against the idea of the cabinet system and I think the idea of a consensus council would be the ideal for most people,” he said, describing his party’s message as “local councillors representing local people and getting things done”.

The Eastcott councillor is a passionate ambassador for Swindon and has spoken of his desire to make it "something that people can be proud of".

Speaking about the opportunities offered by the council's proposed regeneration projects - North Star, Kimmerfields, more entertainment and cultural offerings in the town centre - he said: “There are almost two million people within an hour’s drive of Swindon. What you need to do if you want to bring money in is give them a reason to come here.

"You judge towns by their centres and Swindon's town centre has fallen by the wayside." But, he said, it needn't always be that way. He hoped for a thumbs up from the Heritage Lottery Fund over the Museum and Art Gallery proposal, a scheme he things will be "brilliant" for Swindon.

“We are a town of huge potential and we live in very exciting times.”

If the election on May 3 results in no party having overall control, it may fall on the Liberal Democrat Group, which currently boasts two councillors, to act as the final decision makers on votes.

Asked which way he thought he would swing, he said: “It’s difficult to say at this stage. It has to be a thoughtful process if we want to get the best policies through. It’s a good condition, in many respects, because it can help to get a consensus that we are always lacking."

Speaking with fresh memories of the electoral battering his party received after sharing government with the Tories from 2010 to 2015, he said: "When you are the second partner, you get all the blame and they get all the credit.”