Invitation to apply to be a Lib Dem Swindon Borough Council candidate - May 2026

The Swindon and East Wiltshire Lib Dem local parties are selecting the candidates to contest the Swindon Borough Council elections in May 2026.

Candidates are sought for the wards listed at the bottom of this page.

This is a formal notice that applications for the Swindon Borough Council wards listed at the bottom of the notice are now invited.

If you wish to be considered for selection as the Liberal Democrat candidate in any of these wards, there are two parts to the process:

Your application must arrive on or before Friday 28th November 2025, and should include the following filled-in forms:

1. Fill in an application pack to apply to become an Approved Candidate.
2. Approved Candidates can then apply for a ward they wish to represent.

These two processes can be done at the same time.

Your application must arrive on or before Friday 28th November 2025 and should include the filled in application pack which includes the following forms:

• Application Form
• Memorandum of Understanding - signed
• Diversity Survey

In your email/letter, please also confirm the ward (see the list below) you wish to stand in.

Please email your application to:

• Swindon North and Swindon South constituency wards: Ciaran Skinner ciaranlskinner@gmail.com

• East Wiltshire constituency wards: Nikk Pike chair@eastwiltslibdems.org.uk

For any contested selection, a selection (hustings) meeting will be held approximately 21 days after the close of applications.

At the hustings you will have the chance to make a speech of up to 5 minutes, after which members will have the opportunity to ask questions. The local members will then elect their preferred candidate. 

You will be invited to provide a single-sided A4 statement or manifesto, which will be sent to members of your local party by email.

You will also be offered the opportunity to contact members before the selection meeting.

If the correct number of candidate(s) or less applies for a ward, then the candidate(s) will be declared elected for that ward once they have completed the Approval Process.

Liberal Democrat candidates for Swindon Borough Council must be approved by interview by a panel of three local Liberal Democrats.

Arrangements will be made for you to be interviewed before the selection meeting.

We want everyone to be able to put their best foot forward. If you need advice before submitting your application, please just indicate on your email and provide a telephone number that we can contact you on.

If you need any assistance by reason of disability, please do let Nikki know by email - chair@eastwiltslibdems.org.uk.

North and South Swindon Constituencies

The number in brackets is the number of councillors to be elected

Central Swindon North

• Gorse Hill (1)

• Penhill & Pinehurst (2)

• Rodbourne Cheney (2)

• Rodbourne Ferndale & Western (3)

South Swindon

• Broadgreen (2)

• Kingshill (2)

• Old Town & Lawn (3)

• Parks (2)

• Queen’s Park (3)

• Walcot (2)

Stratton, Covingham and Liden

• Badbury Park, Eldene & Liden (3)

• Covingham & Nythe (2)

• Lower Stratton (3)

• Upper Stratton (2)

West Swindon

• Lydiard, Freshbrook & Toothill (3)

• Shaw & Westlea (3)

Haydon Wick

• Haydon Wick (3)

• Priory Vale (3)

St Andrews

• St Andrews East (2)

• St Andrews West & Tadpole (2)

Rural North

• Blunsdon (1)

• Highworth (2)

• South Marston (1) 

East Wiltshire Constituency

Rural South

• Chiseldon & Ridgeway (2)

• Wroughton & Wichelstowe (3)