Members of Parliament, as the name suggests, spend much of their time at the Palace of Westminster.

But in addition to playing a part in shaping and implementing legislation addressing national issues, they also play a valuable local role.

They are our ambassadors in the capital, supporters of Swindon charged with ensuring that wherever possible, our town benefits from new sources of investment, infrastructure funding and commercial opportunities.

Closer to home their role expands to that of influencers, adding a powerful voice to the debate even when the issues at hand fall to the local authority or are left to the private sector.

On occasion, those duties extend to those of a mediator, building bridges between the community and the council, or between the private and the public sectors.

Regeneration is an issue that hangs like a weight around the neck of Swindon Borough Council, where a failure to deliver on a series of major projects, including broadband, an extravagant ski slope and arena complex, the Thamesdown Drive extension and the town centre are fresh in the memory of residents.

While MPs’ decision making power on these issues may be limited or non-existent, voters expect them to wield their powers of influence and persuasion with vigour and determination in the interests of Swindon.

In the past our MPs have not been afraid to challenge the council where they have fallen short.

In this, our final policy special, we ask the candidates how they would aim to support growth and regeneration in Swindon if elected.

Some appear to prefer a big picture stance - pushing for change on a national scale in the expectation that our town would be among those to see the benefits.

Others advocate a more direct approach - referring to the council’s own development arm as ‘a failure’, or the town centre as ‘poor’, even labelling our heritage as ‘rotting’ and ‘crumbling’ as a result of neglect.

The issues that will pass across the desk of whichever candidates are elected to represent Swindon after June 8 are many and varied.

They include the state of the town centre, the strained relationship between heritage campaigners and those in favour of development, a struggling retail sector lacking direction, the need to bring up average wages, provide affordable housing and ensure that young people have the skills and training needed to succeed.

Significant infrastructure projects are ongoing or in demand, including the multi-million pound M4 junction remodelling and the Thamesdown Drive extension.

The Kimmerfields development promised a great deal but has so far delivered very little. The transformation of the North Star site into a premier leisure destination is a similar story.

You can read about how our candidates would approach these challenge, and more, below:

NORTH SWINDON

JUSTIN TOMLINSON (Conservative)

"As one of the fastest growing global economies, we have been able to invest in our infrastructure.

"Both Robert Buckland and I have fought for and secured £169m for local infrastructure projects through the Swindon and Wiltshire growth deal, which includes the upgrading of junctions 15 and 16 of the M4.

"We have also worked to secure £7bn for the modernisation and electrification of the Great Western Mainline.

"To kickstart town centre regeneration, I will continue to push for the failed Forward Swindon to be abolished and their £1.5m budget to be used directly to secure new retailers."

MARK DEMPSEY (Labour)

"I believe that Swindon is a town with huge potential. 

"However the Tories have completely failed to regenerate Swindon and they have cut funding to our town by over £20m since 2013. 

"As a local councillor I have worked positively to try and build a better future for Swindon.

"If I am elected as your MP I will focus on the key projects that will transform our town including action to restore Swindon as an economic powerhouse; action to kick-start regeneration - with our railway heritage at its heart; and a long term plan for a University for Swindon."

LIZ WEBSTER (Liberal Democrats)

"The geographical location of Swindon, with good rail and road connections makes it a popular location for commuters to many other larger cities.

"We have seen a large rapid housing development programme roll out which has put pressure on services.

"Plans for redevelopment of the town centre have been circulating for years and it would be wonderful to see these plans realised to bring Swindon up to scratch.

"Ideas such as a music arena and encouraging a boutique hotel culture to capture the weekender market to boost the local economy would be at the forefront of my plans should the people of North Swindon chose to elect me as their MP."

ANDY BENTLEY (Green Party)

"The Green Party believes that our economy should be innovative, collaborative, forward facing and for the benefit of communities and the environment.

"The economy is all of us: our work, our creativity, what we buy, how we spend our time. It should allow us to lead happy and fulfilled lives. A Green economy would replace the exploitation of people and resources with decent, meaningful work.

"We will create thousands of secure jobs by rebuilding public services. Our plans for a network of community banks will ensure wealth makes it into our communities rather than piling up in corporate bank accounts.

"We will support start-ups and creative enterprises through community credit and green investment, to provide opportunities for young people to be creative and innovative.

"We will ensure that everyone pays their fair share of tax and there is a crackdown on tax dodging. In Europe, Green MEPs have already been fighting the tax-dodging by big multinationals that gives them an unfair advantage over local businesses who pay their way in our communities.

"We will further support local businesses by letting local authorities favour local procurement to help their local economy and enforcing legislation requiring small businesses be paid on time."

STEVE HALDEN (UKIP)

"Conservative laissez-faire economics have given Britain the worst trade deficit in the developed world.

"The Swindon council cannot afford to sweep the roads, mend potholes, clear drains or run libraries. The government has been borrowing a billion pounds a week for the last seven years.

"The National Debt is rapidly approaching two trillion pounds. UKIP want a government Buy British procurement policy and this could be worth £250bn a year to British businesses.

"Exports will create wealth and that is why UKIP supports British manufacturing industry as the way to get us out of this economic quagmire."

SOUTH SWINDON

ROBERT BUCKLAND (Conservative)

As our economy continues to grow, we have been able to invest in Swindon. Since 2010, we have supported growth and regeneration by investing in jobs, schools, healthcare and local infrastructure.

We will:

  • Continue to facilitate growth across our country through our modern industrial strategy and investment in infrastructure and skills.
  • Reform business rates and further simplify the tax system.
  • Improve broadband connectivity.
  • Increase investment in Research and Development.
  • No VAT increases.
  • Increase the National Living Wage.
  • Raise the income tax threshold to £12,500 by 2020.

SARAH CHURCH (Labour)

"Swindon’s future is bright.

"As your candidate, I am committed to growing our town's economy through local business growth and investment.

"Businesses of all sizes in Swindon need the right numbers of skilled workers to succeed, so my vision for Swindon is based in funding for education.

"We need to invest more in technical and vocational training at Level 4 onwards.

"When we increase our skills, we will increase our wages and productivity, and Swindon will attract more investment- it’s a virtuous cycle.

"Increased investment in Swindon will provide the opportunity to regenerate the Town Centre and other commercial localities.

"Swindon continues to grow as we work towards our Local Plan target of 22,000 homes between 2011 and 2026. 

"I will fully support the work of Switch on to Swindon to ensure we attract skilled people to our town to improve the quality of our services, to start up new businesses and to contribute to our local economy.

"Labour will ensure the Borough Council has the funding it needs to provide public services including public libraries and upkeep of public spaces- we believe in devolving power, but that requires necessary funding to follow."

STAN PAJAK (Liberal Democrats)

"Swindon is the UK’s sixth most productive economy with major companies located here yet often we appear fixated by its failings.

"We need to make Swindon a place where people want to live and work and have pride in their town.

"This means not just making it more attractive to business but also its residents.

"Our town centre offer is poor and its improvement has to be a priority with a revamped town centre, a new museum and art gallery, maintaining its heritage and its green environment and wonderful villages.

"This has to be matched by adequate housing in all its forms and ideally a university. As a Swindon MP simply putting people first."

TALIS KIMBERLEY-FAIRBOURN (Green Party)

“As a Green, I want business owners and employers and employees alike to do well, and for the town’s economy to thrive.

"I want us to work for this on the basis that many of our resources are finite, that climate change is already affecting many areas of our interconnected world, and that gross inequality in opportunity, health, and housing damages our whole community.

"We need fresh ideas like the new Green Deal to improve our housing stock’s energy efficiency, and a Universal Basic Income, to facilitate volunteering, training, creative work, entrepreneurs’ start-ups, and caring duties without fear of poverty.

“Without a safe environment there eventually will be no economy, so our ideas must shift. Everyone must pay their fair share of tax – all the way to the top.

"Small businesses, co-operatives and mutuals deserve support including community credit and green investment.

"Home renters deserve a fair deal, and landlords should be licensed. Greens will introduce a programme for affordable zero-carbon homes including for social rent.

"Housing should be about homes, not profits. Building on green field land while up to a million homes stand empty has to stop.

"We will invest in sustainability for food, farming, and flood defences.”

MARTIN COSTELLO (UKIP)

"Having fought the council on the immoral and highest council tax rise in the country, I will ensure that the cap is reinstated* to block any attempts by the council to continue raising it by unwarranted amounts annually. 

"Subsequently Swindonians will have more money in their pockets to spend on local businesses.

"We shall scrap the proposed vanity project of the proposed art gallery and instead concentrate on restoring our crumbling/rotting heritage. As a true Swindonian this is my personal mission.

"Restoring our identity and civic pride will make Swindon a more attractive place for people to do business.

"UKIP are committed to building affordable housing for all and in particular young families who are struggling to get on to the housing ladder due to high rents.

"Buy-to-let must also be addressed as a home is a right and should not be a business opportunity.

"When we leave the EU, we will regain control of the regional development budget, over £1bn a year.

"UKIP will use some of this to boost capacity in UK-based modular homes manufacturing.

"We will enable the manufacture of modular homes where jobs are needed, and they will be built where homes are needed."

Tomorrow, as our election coverage continues, we will hear from two first time voters who believe that young people have more to offer the political debate than they are given credit for.

If you have questions that the candidates haven't been able to answer here, why not join us on June 5 for General Election Question Time.

The Swindon Advertiser has joined forces with the Wyvern Theatre to host a hustings event just a few days before the country goes to the polls.

Each of the candidates up for election will speak and take part in discussions on jobs, education, health, the economy, and Brexit.

Questions will be taken on the night, but you can also send your questions in advance by email to: questiontime@swindonadvertiser.co.uk by midnight tonight (June 2).

Please mention either Swindon South or Swindon North in your email, depending on which constituency you are from.

The event will start at 7pm. Is free to attend but reserving a ticket from the Wyvern Theatre website is advised.

Visit swindontheatres.co.uk/Online/tickets-general-election-swindon-2017 to find out more.