SWINDON'S MP Robert Buckland had a hand in the Conservative Party manifesto.

He played a part as he holds a ministerial position.

The manifesto is heavy on Brexit and promises that Britain will leave the EU at the end of January.

Other measures include increasing the number of nurses in the NHS and reversing the withdrawal on the nursing bursary.

The party is promising no increase in income tax rates or VAT or national insurance, and is saying it will increase the personal threshold before employees start paying national insurance contributions.

Old age pensions are to be increased by 2.5 per cent every year the manifesto says, and it promises to move towards a net zero carbon emissions economy by 2050.

The party’s candidate for South Swindon Mr Buckland had a hand in the manifesto as justice secretary.

He said: “It was my privilege to be part of a very talented and dedicated group as we draw up the programme.

“It’s a realistic and sensible blueprint for the next Parliament.”

“The first thing we have to do it get Brexit done.

"If we have a working majority in the next parliament we can get through the legislation to allow us to leave the EU on January 31.

“Once that is done, then we can start to concentrate on our domestic priorities, things like the cost of living.”

Mr Buckland said he was pleased by increasing the threshold for paying National Insurance, from £8,632 to £9,500, adding: “We’re going to start raising it towards the £12,500 mark, the same as it is for income tax. That’s a very good move and very good for everybody. It’s a really focussed policy and the right thing to do.”

Education measures in the manifesto have pleased the South Swindon candidate.

He said: “Funding for schools is going to make a difference in Swindon.

"We inherited here a very unfair funding formula from the previous Labour government, which was changed.

"Now we are going to see more funding for schools in Swindon.

"We can't bandy around Monopoly figures but it means funding of £5,000 per pupil per year in secondary schools and a minimum of £4000 per pupil per year in primary schools.

“This will make a big difference to headteachers in Swindon.”

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: “Our priority as Conservatives is to get Brexit done so that we can unleash the potential of this great country.

"If we elect a majority Conservative government, we will start putting our deal through Parliament before Christmas and we will leave the European Union in January.

 “Once Brexit is done and dusted, we will be able to focus on the people’s priorities – giving the NHS the biggest cash boost in it its history, levelling up schools funding; hiring an additional 20,000 new police officers, cutting business rates and building the homes people need and reviving our towns and cities.

 “This is a manifesto which delivers for Swindon and focuses on residents’ priorities, our NHS, police, schools and supports hardworking families across our town.”

One of the most publicised policies in the manifesto was drawn up by Mr Buckland’s team at the Justice Department.

It means those over 21 convicted of the murdering a child under 16 will not be eligible for parole and will have to serve the whole of their life sentence.

Mr Buckland said: “There can be no more sickening injustice than that of heartbroken parents watching the killer of their child walk free.

"There is nothing we can do to take away the pain of the families of murdered children. So we must do everything in our power not to compound it.”

Both Mr Buckland and Mr Tomlinson are defending their seats for the third time, both having been elected in 2010.

Standing against Mr Tomlinson in North Swindon are Kate Linnegar (Labour), Andy Bentley (Green) party and Katie Critchlow (Lib Dem).

Mr Buckland’s opponents in South Swindon are Sarah Church (Labour) and Stan Pajak (Lib Dem).