On 22nd September, Entertainment Swindon reported that the the Tory proposed Cross Party Advisory Group were no closer to a first meeting that was supposed to take place this month (September).
Yesterday (Tuesday 23rd September) Cllr Kevin Small responded to Tory claims, dismissing them as a “desperate attempt at headlines”, stating that the group had already begun work as promised.
Cllr Small went on to say that there had been a meeting on the same day as our story was published at 5pm, nearly 3hrs after we published. Kevin stated that the first meeting had convened and that Councillors Jim Grant (Lab), Ana Fernandes (Lab), Sudha Sri Nukana (Con), Kevin Small (Lab), Adam Poole (Lib Dem) and Matt Lodge (Independent) had been in attendance and that a the meeting had been arrange back on 8th September by email from Cllr Small. Speaking to Cllr Dale Heenan, he said: “At no point have the Conservative Party leadership been informed about the Advisory Group meeting from Labour”.
According to our two sources within the Oasis Advisory Group, Ana Fernandes and Adam Poole were not in attendance of the meeting, contradicting Cllr Kevin Small.
Speaking to Cllr Sudha Nukana, she said: “Last week I asked in writing whether a meeting on the Oasis was going ahead because I had been informed none of the officers could attend. I didn’t receive a reply and so I was completely in the dark as to whether it was proceeding. The original invitation didn’t even include meeting room details. On Monday, quite by chance I met Cllr Grant in the Council carpark at approx 4:50pm because I was early for the Conservative Group meeting.
He mentioned that the Oasis meeting was going ahead that evening and asked if I could join. The organising has been a shambles. It’s almost as if Labour members deliberately kept me out of the loop – hoping I wouldn’t attend so that they could accuse the Conservatives of hypocrisy! Cross party working for Labour means meeting the opposition in the carpark and saying a meeting is just about to start, join us!”
We were able to see through email evidence today (Wednesday 24th September) that corroborated Cllr Nukana claims. There was an email sent by Cllr Small on 8th September asking if the invited were available, where replies from Council Officers stated they were not available. Also on multiple occasions Cllr Nukana sent emails to Cllr Small and the rest of the group to ask if there was going to be a meeting over a period of nearly two weeks with zero reply. It was only by chance that there was a Conservative Group Meeting, and Cllr Nukana bumping into Cllr Grant that she was to learn a meeting had been organised.
In a post on X, Cllr Jim Robbins upon reading our article on the frustrations of the Tory Party surrounding the cross party advisory group accused Entertainment Swindon of lying, stating that we had not contacted him for his response to the Tory claims.
We had in fact attempted communication with Cllr Robbins, but as per every other time we have attempted to contact him for a response, it has been blocked. Cllr Robbins has blocked Entertainment Swindon on all means of communications, including email, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Refusing to communicate, seems to run through the DNA of the SBC Labour Leadership.
We have also found that Jim Robbins and the SBC Labour Leadership has made several attempts to sabotage Entertainment Swindon by telling organisations that if Entertainment Swindon are in attendance, then their councillors will not attend and give support such as recently when we were contacted by Tim Howe, the organiser of The Longevity Games, of which we have been a long time supporter from its inception, giving more coverage than any other publication that if we were to attend the recent Games, the Labour Councillors would not attend. It seems by holding the Labour Council Leadership accountable, we are alienated from any communication. We have made multiple requests to be given press releases for council news, updates and events etc, and again we have been refused this and unable to get the relevant information to report on Council news. Speaking to many of the supporters of Save Oasis Swindon, they too have been blocked by Jim Robbins and Kevin Small for simply disagreeing with them. There seems to be a pattern, so much for transparency.
Entertainment Swindon 
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