An American company is opening up in Calne and will be employing 300 people.

 North Wiltshire MP James Gray announced the news when he was guest speaker at the Swindon Chamber of Commerce economic lunch at the Double Tree Hilton.

He said the company was coming to the UK because of Brexit and by moving their operation to Wiltshire meant they wouldn’t be shackled by the rules and regulations of the European union which are currently in play.

Mr Gray said he was optimistic about the future and Brexit because of the quality of business people who worked in the UK, especially in Wiltshire.

“We are certainly not in the doldrums as some people who would believe,” he said.

“I remember the days off the 1970s when there were three and a half million people without a job, when interest rates were around 15 per cent and there was a general economic downturn.

“Now we have more people including women in work than ever before, more businesses starting up and succeeding and we are in good shape.”

Mr Gray said that when the UK was making its own laws and not having to go cap to Europe for permission then business would be able to speed up.

“Just to give you a simple example. We could, if we were free of European laws, then we could ban plastic cups and straws say from Costa Coffee by the end of the year.

“With Europe in charge we might be able to get the ban in force by the end of 2025.

“This plastic issue is a catastrophe and needs us to make our own rules which must be followed by the rest of the world.

“We will be able to do more on our own rather than from a European rich man’s club.”

The Swindon Chamber of Commerce economic lunch is sponsored by Barclays Bank and hosted by the Hilton Hotel.

Both the Swindon MPs Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland will be speaking at the next lunches in the summer.

Mr Gray was introduced by Trevor French, corporate director of Barclays Bank and Mr Gray was thanked by Kevin Gwilliam, the president of Swindon Chamber of Commerce and the general manager of the Brunel Shopping Centre.