Three candidates are vying for the votes of South Swindon – but it should have been five.

The withdrawal of candidates from Conservative-held seats by the Brexit Party and the enforced dropping out for personal reasons of Green Party candidate Steve Thompson means the choice is between the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.

It could also be argued that the positions of Tory incumbent Robert Buckland and Labour’s Sarah Church – who is making a second bid to unseat him – are closer than those of their party’s candidates in North Swindon.

Here are the candidates in their own words...

ROBERT BUCKLAND (Conservatives)

"South Swindon isn’t just the constituency I have represented in Parliament for nine years, it’s my family home too.

"We rely on the same great local services as fellow local residents.

"That’s why as a backbencher, government minister and now as Swindon’s first cabinet minister, I’ve used my role to make Swindon’s case at the highest level at every possible opportunity to make this an even better place to live and work.

"That means real results, like lobbying my cabinet colleague, the Health Secretary, to get £30m of additional resources for the GWH’s reconfigured emergency department and transitional care facility, as well as £15m for the new radiotherapy unit.

"It’s the £25m we’re getting to help regenerate our town.

"It’s funding for improvements to junctions 16 and 15 of the M4 and new local roads. The next Conservative government is going to get Brexit done, we’re going to recruit 20,000 police officers, increase schools funding and – my personal priority as Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor – reform the criminal justice system.

"2020 can be a great year for this great country. We cannot risk that with the dither, delay and danger of Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour."

SARAH CHURCH (Labour and Co-operative)

"I have been an active community campaigner in Swindon since leaving the Army in 2015 following 13 years’ service. I now work in a Swindon-based green tech company combatting plastic waste.

"I have organised the Old Town Festival, led the Save Swindon’s Libraries Campaign, assisted local residents to protect green space, community amenities and traffic safety. I have helped with housing repairs, benefits and legal claims, and access to GP services.

"I believe in strong publicly-funded services. Once elected I will constantly seek to make our town even better. My priorities are to:

- Bring back Sure Start children’s centres;

- Secure better school and college funding;

- Protect our health services from privatisation;

- Promote real solutions to tackle climate change and plastic waste;

- Support a final say on Brexit within six months;

- Improve the town centre and village centres.

"As a co-operative candidate, I believe strongly in the importance of local wealth creation-making sure we keep our money going around in the local economy.

"I live in West Swindon with my husband and three daughters. My grandfather’s family lived and worked in Swindon on the railways for generations. I cut the Conservative majority to just 2,464 in the 2017 election."

STAN PAJAK (Liberal Democrats)

"I am pleased and honoured to be the Lib Dem candidate for South Swindon in this election. My whole life has centred round my home town and my greatest joy has been contributing in my role as a councillor and working in the community. A vote for my party is one for a brighter future.

"Swindon’s commercial success depends on our biggest market place Europe. A Liberal Democrat government will stop Brexit. Then we’ll use the £50 ‘billion remain bonus’ to properly fund our public services and tackle inequality.

"A Liberal Democrat government will invest £10 billion in our schools every year so that every child can reach their full potential

"The Liberal Democrats are the only party with a radical, credible and detailed plan to tackle climate change. The Liberal Democrats presided over the UK’s biggest ever increase in renewable energy. But we need to go even bigger. With a Liberal Democrat government, 80 per cent of our electricity will be renewably sourced by 2030.

"Swindon was the birthplace of the NHS but now it is in a crisis. We will raise £7 billion a year in additional revenue by putting 1p on income tax for investment in people and buildings including the expansion of the GWH."