ROAD resurfacing! Money for Swindon! There must be an election coming. I think recent letters, columns and articles in the SA contained some inaccuracies and differing aspects confirm this view.

For example Councillor Renard in his column indicated that in 1843 the people of Swindon didn’t object to Brunel’s railway. They most certainly did, but the ‘powerful’ in Westminster simply ignored the ‘peasantry’ in the ‘sticks’.

Ask any of Swindon’s older residents, they will tell you that the animosity between ‘old town’ and ‘new town’ was still apparent when Maggie closed the works and sold it to Tarmac.

As one would expect there were problems within a business over 100 years old, but none which could not have been corrected by investment.

Harry Roberts, the last works manager, was on a hiding for nothing trying to keep engine building in Swindon. Maggie had made up her mind, 7000 Swindon jobs were to go. As we all know, the ‘lady was not for turning’. Now we buy trains built by a German company. That’s the history of Tory jobs for Swindon.

Just to correct other comments, WW2 brought aircraft manufacturing to Stratton. The post war Labour Government brought in Plessey, Garrard, Pressed Steel and Square D, a Labour Council attracted Nationwide and Hambro Life to town.

On the closure of the rail works the Labour Council brought Honda and BMW to Swindon. Last but not least don’t forget the schools and GW Hospital; all Labour investment in Swindon.

Mike Spry, Mayfield Close, Swindon