The fate of hundreds of temporary staff and agency workers shouldn't be forgotten in efforts to try and soften the blow of the announced Honda closure, according to one Labour councillor.

Coun Jim Robbins, who represents Mannington and Western said he wanted to taskforce set up to try to keep Honda in Swindon, or to help laid off workers find other jobs to think about the temporary and short-term staff due to be let go very soon.

He said: "The group shouldn't forget those staff - there's about 350 of them, and some are due to be laid off as soon as March 1.

"In all the thinking about what happens, and what we can do in 2021, I don't want the impact on those workers and their families, and the wider impact on the town to be forgotten."

Coun Robbins was pleased that the taskforce has backed the union Unite's plan to lobby Honda to keep the plant open: "It's very hard to replace those skilled jobs."