When you’re an MP, there are some days which completely take you by surprise.
Sometimes, it’s an unexpected local news story or an urgent question in the House of Commons, but on others, it’s simply discovering amazing new things about the community you have the privilege of representing.
I had one of these days a fortnight ago.
Along with Council Leader Jim Robbins and the Mayor and Mayoress of Swindon, Imtiyaz and Adorabelle Shaikh, I was invited to join Her Royal Highness Princes Anne when she visited Improve Veterinary Education in Westlea.
As I drove up to the unassuming office building next to the Delta Tennis Centre, I had no idea that I was about to step into a longstanding, brilliant Swindon business that is providing world-class training to vets in over 20 different countries.
The Princess Royal was visiting to mark the official opening of the business in their new home (they’d previously been based in Alexandra Park) and it was great to chat to staff about the training they provide from this corner of Swindon.
With state-of-the-art online technology and top-class veterinary surgeons travelling from places like Ireland to run courses here, it made me think about how Swindon’s influence stretches far beyond the M4.
It also made me think about how we should shout more loudly about the brilliant things Swindon has to offer and how important it is that the Government works with businesses to drive growth and prosperity in all parts of the UK.
When Labour was elected last summer, after 14 years of a Conservative Government, we promised to reset the relationship with business - working in genuine partnership to support essential research and development and to invest alongside the private sector to stimulate growth.
This is something that both me and Will Stone (the MP for North Swindon) are determined to facilitate in Swindon.
With massive developments like the Pannattoni site ripe for investment, incredible opportunities with the refurbishment of the Railway Carriage Works and the need for regeneration in the town centre, we are talking every week to investors and businesses who can see the potential in Swindon.
Working alongside Swindon Borough Council, we know that our number one, joint mission is to make that investment happen.
Turning around the fortunes of our town is not going to be quick.
You can’t undo the neglect of 14 years in 14 weeks, but we won’t rest until we’ve got Swindon back on the right path.
As my morning in that brilliant, but unassuming, West Swindon business showed, the flickers of growth and opportunity are already burning in Swindon, we just need to turn the dial-up and give our town the future it deserves.
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