The second Prime Minister to visit Swindon during this election campaign can to offer his full-throated support of Conservative candidates Robert Buckland, and the current inhabitant of 10 Downing Street Rishi Sunak in Thursday’s vote.

David Cameron, now Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton,  who was PM from 2010 to 2016 and is the serving Foreign Secretary, came to Shaw centre in West Swindon to meet Conservative activists, do some canvassing and to support  Mr Buckland.

Asked why the people of Swindon should give the Conservatives another five years after the party has been in government for 14 years, she said: “The country is in a better state than when we came to power in 2010.

“Inflation is down to two per cent, growth is up to two per cent, unemployment is down to four per cent.

“Rishi Sunak has come in and he’s made things better and he has a plan, a plan for growing the economy, and a plan to cut taxes.

“Labour has a plan to increase taxes, that’s their instinct but not for anything else.”

Mr Cameron said the benefits of a Conservative government could be seen in Swindon: “The Great Western Hospital is about to open a revamped and expanded A & E department,  there are more schools here than when we came to power, the government is investing £100m of levelling up funds in Swindon  town centre and Honda leaving was a blow, but Panattoni are redeveloping the site, and Robert Buckland had a big hand in securing that deal, and that will bring more jobs.”

Mr Cameron said he did not necessarily believe the polls which are suggesting big lead for Labour and which have led to Conservative cabinet members urging voters to deny Labour a so-called ‘supermajority’.

But he added: “If the polls are right and Labour, then you don’t want the MP for Swindon South to be the 400th Labour MP on the list.

“You need a strong local MP like Robert Buckland with an excellent track record of working for the town, who knows Swindon and who can hold a Labour government to account and be a strong voice in Parliament for the people of Swindon.”

Mr Buckland repeated the compliment to Lord Cameron and said: “I can’t think of anyone better to have as Foreign Secretary, at a time of great tension and difficulty internationally, increasing Britain’s reputation and strengthening our relations with allies overseas.”

Also standing in Swindon South are Labour candidate Heidi Alexander, the Green candidate Rod Hebden, the Liberal Democrat candidate Matt McCabe, Independent candidate Martin Costello, and Reform UK’s  Catherine Kosidowski.