There will be a general election on July 4.

After hours of feverish speculation by MPs and political journalists Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the long-awaited date this afternoon.

And it means, In Swindon at least The Liberal Democrats and the Reform Party will need to get their skates on.

There are two parliamentary constituencies entirely within in the borough of Swindon.

The slightly redrawn and renamed Swindon North constituency will be defended by the sitting Conservative MP Justin Tomlison, who has held the seat since 2010.

He will be opposed by the Labour candidate Will Stone, a borough councillor for Rodbourne Cheney, and the Green party candidate Andy Bentley.

The Liberal Democrats are expected to field a candidate but none has been announced. The Reform Party did have a candidate, but fired her recently and has not announced a replacement. Debbie Hicks has announced she will stand as an independent candidate in Swindon North too.

In Swindon South, The Conservative Sir Robert Buckland will defend the seat, in his fifth election after taking it in 2010.

His Labour opponent will be former London MP Heidi Alexander and the Green Party candidate is Rod Hebden. Again The Lib Dems have not announced a candidate and the Reform Party recently deselected its original candidate, and no replacement has been declared.

After the redrawing of the boundaries as mandated by the government last year some of the southern, rural areas of Swindon, Wanborough, Wroughton and Chiseldon have been moved into the new East Wiltshire constituency.

That will be defended by sitting Conservative MP Danny Kruger. Labour will field Rob Newman, The Green candidate is Emily Herbert, Reform will field Stephen Talbot, the Liberal Democrats’ candidate is David Kinnaird and Pete Force-Jones will hope to win for the True & Fair Party.

In a slight oddity of the redrawing Swindon South’s Robert Buckland will be voting in the East Wiltshire constituency as he lives in Wroughton.