Will Stone warns me about the state of his Labour campaign headquarters in The Circle in Penhill before I arrive for our interview.

In truth, it looks fine; the long table in the middle of the main room has hundreds - possibly thousands - of leaflets on it, but they are neatly bundled into specific areas, with the map of the relevant streets they are to be delivered to wrapped round them and fastened by a rubber band.

There’s a used mug or two, and a box of breakfast cereal in the middle of the table and a couple of plates with the odd banana peel.

But I suspect Mr Stone’s consternation comes from his time as a soldier, because the room is, frankly, tidier than my desk.

Mr Stone is standing in Swindon North - the constituency won by Conservative Justin Tomlinson at each of the last four general elections.

As he eyes the piles of leaflets still to be delivered Mr Stone, who is also a Labour councillor, says: “I want to have knocked on tens of thousands of doors by the end of the campaign. We have knocked on more than we have ever done before.

“Whatever the polls say I still think this is going to be a close election. Justin Tomlinson is a very good campaigner, so I’m taking nothing for granted, and I’m working to get every vote.

“We are getting a good reception on the doorstep- what we’re finding is that some undecideds are coming over and saying they’re voting Labour, and we are not losing too many to parties like the Greens.

“I think people are willing to vote Green in the local elections, but they know it’s a bigger decision in a general, and they know that risks a Conservative MP.”

I’m meeting Mr Stone on the day of the launch of the Labour manifesto, and he is clearly enthused.

Asked what the main things in it from his perspective are, he says: “A lot of it is all interlinked, and I think it’s full of very thoughtful, sensible policies.

“I really like the GB Energy plan, not just for cutting bills, but for creating jobs. Ed Miliband says there are 16,000 jobs in it in the South West, and we need some of those high-skill, well-paid jobs here in Swindon.

“But we can link that to education. We have too low a rate of young people going on to higher education here. We can create a university hub here focussing on green technology, matching education to industry and creating the technologies, and the jobs of the future.

“and that links to the policies on breaking down barriers to opportunity, having mental health professionals in schools, which also will help cut crime and anti-social behaviour.”

The day before we meet, Conservative cabinet member Grant Shapps had appealed to voters to prevent Labour having a ‘super majority’. And many commentators say if Keir Starmer has something approaching 400 MPs, there will not be nearly enough government jobs to keep everyone in line.

Mr Stone says he’s not at all bothered by that: “I was born and bred in Swindon. I served in the local infantry regiment and I’m now a small business owner in the town.

“I want to work to help Swindon. I think I’m the best candidate in North Swindon to do that, I think the Labour Party has the best plan to do it.

“But my focus would be here in Swindon. Obviously, I’d have to be in Westminster for the job, and it’s useful to know people in cabinet who will be spending the money.

“But I’m not looking to climb the greasy pole, I just want to work to make things in this constituency better.”

Others standing in Swindon North as well as Conservative MP Mr Tomlinson are the Green Party candidate Andy Bentley, Reform UK candidate Les Willis, Independent candidate Debbie Hicks, Trades Union and Socialist Coalition candidate Scott Hunter and Liberal Democratic candidate Flo Clucas.