AFTER almost 40 years in local government, Penhill councillor David Glaholm is calling time on his political career.

Councillor Glaholm, 62, has been involved with local politics since 1971 having served on the former Wiltshire County Council and Thamesdown Borough Council and now Swindon Borough Council ever since.

Coun Glaholm will not run for re-election in May due to ill health but has said it is with a heavy heart that he will be stepping down as a Penhill councillor – a post he has held for 20 years.

Grandfather Coun Glaholm quit the Labour Party to become an independent councillor in 2007 after he was called an enemy of the party for criticising the then government minister Ruth Kelly over a lack of housing policy.

He said: “My proudest moment was probably when I put forward the resolution to name the Magic Roundabout – before that the county council was planning to call it County Islands.

“Perhaps my biggest battle was to get fox hunting banned from county-owned land back in the early 1980s.

“I know I have changed people’s lives for the better during my time and wish to say I am proud to represent the people of Penhill.

“I have put the people of Swindon first for nearly 40 years and I am sure you would agree it’s time to put my wife Flo first – who has had a lot to put up with.”

Coun Glaholm was first elected in 1971, then became a member of Wiltshire County Council in 1979 before being elected to Thamesdown Council in 1989.

He was born in County Durham in 1947 and became Mayor of Thamesdown in May 1994. He said then it was one of the proudest moments of his life.

He has served on many committees and sub-committees in that time, including the health scrutiny committee, the public toilets task group, the licensing committee, the licensing panel and was the chairman of the scrutiny committee.

Coun Glaholm has always been outspoken in his years as a councillor and, even though he is leaving politics, he is says he will still speak out if he needs to.

He said: “I think the introduction of the cabinet system in Swindon is the biggest problem for the town. We need to go back to a time where committees made the decisions.”

On his reasons for leaving, he said: “My health has not been good this last 12 months and in particular the last month as I have been in and out of hospital.

“I am sure nothing serious is wrong but I feel that I am unable to have the ‘fire in my belly’ that a councillor for Penhill needs and feel that my battery of energy is low.

“I thank you all for giving me the honour of serving you.”