“The people of Swindon will, in a very real way, decide this election.”

The borough’s reputation as a bellwether and for picking the winning party in general elections saw Labour shadow business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds visit Moredon to gee up not only candidates from Swindon but from four other Wiltshire constituencies as well.

As well as Heidi Alexander and Will Stone, the candidates for Swindon South and North respectively,  Kerry Postlewhite, standing in Melksham & Devizes, Zoe Billingham, the party’s candidate for South Cotswolds, Rob Newman, standing in East Wiltshire, and Swindon borough councillor Ravi Venkatesh, who is standing in Chippenham, joined party volunteers to see Mr Reynolds hand out the newly published manifesto.

He told them: “The people are rejecting the last 14 years of chaos. Everyone in this community will benefit from the measures in our manifesto.

“We are going to bring economic stability back to this country, never again will we have the idea of Liz Truss which crashed the economy.

“We will invest in the NHS, we will cancel the Rwanda scheme, we will set up GB Energy to provide renewable energy, there will be more police on the beat and 6,500 more teachers in our schools.

“This is a plan for a national renewal which is so badly needed.”

After the candidates and activists moved off to knock on nearby doors and deliver leaflets, Mr Reynolds told the Adver:  “This is a plan for economic growth and wealth creation.

“After the last few years, businesses need stability. We are not legislating the arguments over Brexit again, but we are developing a better relationship with our trading partners: bring in agreements so that there’s less need for checks on agricultural produce; accepting each other’s professional qualifications, so that we can offer business stability.

“I’m from Sunderland where there’s a Nissan factory, so I know what a blow the loss of Honda was. By offering economic stability we can allow business investment so that good high-skilled, well-paid jobs can come to Swindon.”

He added: “I know the town centre is a big issue here, it is in my constituency as well. We’re going to change the rules on business rates to equal up the playing field between high street businesses and shops and the online giants, and there’s things to do on encouraging more people to live in town and city centres, there’s a demand for that especially from the young.

“But what town centres need is people with money in their pocket. We are offering the sort of stability that means people will have jobs they can raise a family on, good houses, and a good education for their children."