Keir Starmer’s Labour government reached its hundredth day on Saturday, October 12.

And while one of the two Labour MPs elected in Swindon as part of the tidal wave that swept Mr Starmer to power said he thought the “honeymoon would last a bit longer”, both Will Stone for Swindon North and Heidi Alexander for Swindon South say there is no sense of drift or dismay among the ranks of ministers and backbench MPs.

The government has been hit by coverage of issues such as the cuts of pensioners’ winter fuel allowance, Mr Starmer’s accepting of thousands of pounds worth of gifts and hospitality, and suggestions of rifts in Number 10 that have seen Sue Gray step down as the PM’s chief of staff.

But both Mr Stone and Ms Alexander are willing to defend the decisions made as being necessary.

(Image: Will Stone) Mr Stone said: “I think most people realise that we are taking difficult decisions because they need taking.

“Nobody likes to be told it’s raining, but if it is raining it’s irresponsible to say it isn’t. It’s not about politics, getting the unpopular decisions out of the way so they’re forgotten. It’s about taking responsible decisions when they are needed.

“We could have been cynical and kept the decision on winter fuel allowance in the budget in a few weeks and that wouldn’t have given people as much time to apply for pension credits. But we did the right thing.”

Ms Alexander, in her second stint as an MP, is now a minister in the Ministry of Justice.

She said: “We have inherited a lot of challenges, but I do think the fact for the first time in many years we have given public sector workers a decent pay rise, we’ve brought an end to the strikes in the NHS and on the railways is something well overdue, and something to be proud of.

“We can’t get the economy firing on all cylinders if people are languishing on NHS waiting lists or cancelling plans because of rail strikes. The decision to prioritise ending the public sector strikes was very important.”

The setting up of GB Energy as a publicly owned company to invest in, and generate, renewable energy is cited by both MPs as an important achievement.

(Image: Will Stone) Ms Alexander added: “We've given planning permission for projects to do with wind farms and solar farms, cleaning up our energy and making the country more resilient, so there’s positive progress there.”

Mr Stone, who sits on the All-Parliamentary groups on leasehold reform, apprenticeships, and policing, is also enthused.

He said: “The Renters’ Rights bill is something I’ve been wanting to see since I was a councillor. It holds more landlords, both private and local authorities, to account for the condition of their properties, and gives renters much more protection.

“Renationalising the railways will also make things better, improving services and bringing down fares.”

As a justice minister, Ms Alexander was at the heart of the greatest early challenge to the government – riots and serious disorder following the killing of two young girls in Southport.

She said: “In week three or four of this government, with scenes of violent disorder in towns and cities. We gripped that. Police responded robustly, we delivered swift justice, and many of those involved are now behind bars.

“The first duty of any government is to ensure citizens are safe and can go about their lives in peace. I don’t think any of us expected to have to confront that in week three or four, But most reasonable people would say Keir Starmer and the government did a good job.”

(Image: Heidi Alexander)

Both MPs also remarked on the size of the constituency casework they face.

Mr Stone said: “It’s huge, we’ve created just under 1500 cases, and we get 260 emails a day on a busy day. I have to thank my brilliant team because people think I’m opening all the emails, but they’re doing so much excellent work.”

Ms Alexander said: “It was really important to hit the ground running. People had had enough of the last 14 years and were impatient for change. It was important that I recruited my staff, got the office set up, and started doing surgeries.

“I was very active before the general election, and that’s how I mean to go on. It takes time to recruit staff, they need to work out notice periods.

"But we’ve dealt with more than 2,000 cases since the election, which might be a pressing personal problem, housing, problems with NHS care or benefit system or education, but also about my views on arms exports or laboratory testing on animals.

“The day after the election you have no staff, no computers, no office. But it’s my mission to give opportunity and pride back to the town that did me the honour of electing me.”

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