# Blunsdon and Highworth (ward)

Blunsdon and Highworth is an electoral ward in the Borough of Swindon, England. Since 2012, the ward has elected three councillors to Swindon Borough Council.

## History

The ward was created in 2012. The ward is set to be abolished for 2026.

## Geography

The ward covers the areas of Blunsdon and Highworth.

## Demographics

In the 2021 census, the population of the ward was 11,445.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors |
| 2012 | Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Doreen Dart (Conservative) |
| 2012 by-election | Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2014 | Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2015 | Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2016 | Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2018 | Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2019 | Maureen Rita Penny (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2021 | Vijay Kumar Manro (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2022 | Vijay Kumar Manro (Conservative) | Alan John Bishop (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2023 | Vijay Kumar Manro (Conservative) | Nick Gardiner (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |
| 2024 | Vijay Kumar Manro (Conservative) | Nick Gardiner (Conservative) | Steve Weisinger (Conservative) |

## Elections
### 2024 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Vijay Manro* | 1,399 | 45.4 | +0.2 |
| | Labour | Ian James | 1,191 | 38.6 | +3.6 |
| | Green | Andrew Day | 336 | 10.9 | −1.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hannah Pajak | 127 | 4.1 | −3.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 208 | 6.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,083 | 33.6 | –3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,187 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.7 | |

### 2023 Swindon Borough Council election

Blundson and Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nick Gardiner | 1,509 | 45.2 | −8.5 |
| | Labour Co-op | Lesley Ann Gow | 1,168 | 35.0 | +3.0 |
| | Green | Andrew Day | 418 | 12.5 | −1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Deborah King | 241 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 341 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,372 | 37.39 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,019 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2022 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steven Mark Weisinger * | 1,715 | 53.7 | −2.90 |
| | Labour Co-op | Lesley Ann Gow | 1,024 | 32.0 | +2.01 |
| | Green | Andrew Donald Day | 457 | 14.3 | +8.21 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 691 | 21.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,212 | 36.06 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,908 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2021 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Vijay Kumar Manro | 2,073 | 56.9 | +4.7 |
| | Labour | Keir Baynham | 867 | 23.8 | |
| | Green | Andrew Day | 442 | 12.1 | −2.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Heal | 137 | 3.8 | −5.0 |
| | Independent | Tara Hurst | 126 | 3.5 | n/a |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,206 | 33.1 | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,645 | 40.9 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +2.35 | |

### 2019 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan Bishop | 1,654 | 52.1 | −4.5 |
| | Labour | Jamie Cope | 756 | 23.8 | −6.2 |
| | Green | Andrew Day | 453 | 14.3 | +8.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Malcolm Salmon | 312 | 9.8 | +5.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 898 | 28.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,175 | 37.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2018 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steve Weisinger* | 2,147 | 56.47 | + 8.50 |
| | Labour | Jamie Cope | 1,140 | 29.98 | + 6.38 |
| | Green | Andrew Donald Day | 231 | 6.08 | − 0.88 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey King | 155 | 4.08 | + 0.53 |
| | UKIP | Sheila Attwater | 123 | 3.24 | − 14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,802 | 43.69 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,702 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2016 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Maureen Rita Penny* | 1,624 | 47.4 |
| | Labour | Alison Mary Durrant | 1,053 | 30.7 |
| | UKIP | John Fairlamb Short | 429 | 12.5 |
| | Green | Andrew Donald Day | 200 | 5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Geoffrey King | 121 | 3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 571 | 16.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,427 | 40 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### 2015 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alan John Bishop * | 3,502 | 55.3 | +7.2 |
| | Labour | Pam Adams | 1,523 | 24.1 | +0.4 |
| | UKIP | Ross Shugar | 838 | 13.2 | –4.5 |
| | Green | Andrew Donald Day | 466 | 7.4 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,979 | 31.4 | +7.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,329 | 71.32 | +31.13 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,874 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2014 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steve Weisinger | 1,689 | 48.1 | +3.3 |
| | Labour | Phil Beaumont | 831 | 23.7 | –7.6 |
| | UKIP | Ross Shugar | 621 | 17.7 | N/A |
| | Green | Andrew Donald Day | 245 | 7.0 | –6.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clive Hooper | 125 | 3.6 | –7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 858 | 24.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,521 | 40.19 | +5.96 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,760 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### 2012 council-by-election

In October 2012,Councillor Doreen Dart died from lung cancer and a by-election was held.
Blunsdon and Highworth by-election 15 November 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Steve Weisinger | 1,453 | |
| | Labour | Phil Beaumont | 1,075 | |
| | UKIP | John Lenton | 195 | |
| | Green | Andrew Donald Day | 111 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cath Smith | 23 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 378 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### 2012 Swindon Borough Council election

Blunsdon & Highworth (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Maureen Rita Penny | 1,530 | 44.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Alan John Bishop | 1,528 | – | |
| | Conservative | Doreen Dart | 1,489 | – | |
| | Labour | Phil Beaumont | 1,067 | 31.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | Alison Mary Durrant | 968 | – | |
| | Labour | Phillip Edward Gaskin | 824 | – | |
| | Green | Andrew Donald Day | 442 | 13.0 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jenny Shorten | 374 | 11.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,974 | 34.23 | N/A |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,689 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |