Swindon Drone Hub
Neros UK
Neros UK are setting up in Swindon and have stated their intention to invest £10m over the next five years in our town. The company has been supporting Ukraine in its defence by supplying drones and innovating new technologies. I’m pleased that the Swindon Drone Hub is attracting another high value company to Swindon whose focus is on expanding British Sovereign capability and a commitment to invest in the skills of our local workforce.
Prolinx
As a UK sovereign SME operating across multiple government security classifications, Prolinx combines agility with high-assurance delivery supporting organisations that depend on secure collaboration, mission-critical platforms, applications, and sensitive data hosting at OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE and SECRET. All while ensuring full jurisdictional control under UK legislation .whilst growing key technical digital engineering skills in the Swindon workforce through apprenticeships and training.
This is particularly vital for UK Critical National Infrastructure, where resilience, security, and trust are essential. Prolinx is a strong example of how innovative British SMEs are delivering secure, sovereign capability at scale.
MyDefence
As global leaders in soldier-borne Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS), MyDefence are driving innovation with a soldier-first ethos, protecting infantry on the ground from drone attacks. As a former Rifleman it's so important that we protect soldiers and I'm really pleased to welcome MyDefence to the Swindon Drone Hub. Their addition marks the 7th Drone Company setting up in our town since I was elected.
Swindon and Wiltshire Wealth Fund
When I was elected, I made three pledges:
To bring industry back to Swindon following the closure of Honda.
To establish a university hub, as Swindon has one of the lowest levels of further and higher education participation in the country.
To open a dedicated mental health hub for our community.
As we succeed in attracting new companies to Swindon, it is vital that their social value and charitable contributions are rooted here too. That is why I recently met with the Wiltshire & Swindon Community Foundation — a remarkable organisation that has spent 51 years helping individuals and businesses give back to their local communities.
They ensure funding reaches where it is needed most, supporting local charities and trusts so they can continue their vital work long into the future. I look forward to seeing even more of the positive impact they make in helping the people of Swindon thrive.
Constituency update
£20m for a theatre in Swindon & the Chancellor in Swindon
After some initial discussions with the Chancellor I was really pleased to see her commit to Swindon through the Growth Mission Fund, providing £20m for a new entertainment venue on the site of the old bus station. The pitch to the Chancellor was a joint one between me, Heidi Alexander and Jim Robbin’s Council who have worked hard to develop a plan the treasury had faith in. This new entertainment venue will be backed by £20m of Council funding, paid off over time by recouping the costs of the yearly maintenance of the Wyvern Theatre.
I see this investment in an entertainment venue as a key step in revitalising the town centre and am keen to continue working alongside a Labour Council and Heidi to do more to rebuild our town.
On Tuesday the 31st March Jim Robbins and I welcomed the Chancellor to Swindon where she presented Jim with £101m cheque, symbolising the extra money this Labour government have directly given to Swindon:
£20m for Pride in Penhill
£20m for Pride in Walcot East
£20m for the Entertainment Venue
£28m extra funding for SBC
£13m for roads and tackling potholes
Pride in Penhill
The Pride in Penhill Programme had it’s first Let’s Talk event recently and the learnings from the event were really interesting with over 40 people attending and exploring the things that matter most to them. The Pride in Place Programme is a real opportunity for the people of Penhill to create a neighbourhood board that entirely decides how the £20m should be spent.
Initial ideas focussed on:
More Youth Provision
Life skills
Activities in Day & Evening
Youth decision making
Protecting & improving green spaces
Cleaning up litter, rubbish and fly tipping
Better communication and outreach opportunities
Haydon Wick Community surgery
It was great to speak to residents alongside Cllr Stanka Wilson and Cllr Ravi Venkatesh in Haydon Wick recently. We covered a number of topics and I look forward to my next community surgery after the local elections.
Parliamentary Update
Standing up for animals and pet owners
Greyhound racing is something I have long opposed, and for the past two years I have campaigned for it to be banned. A visit to the Blue Cross rehoming centre in Burford confirmed my fears: greyhounds racing in places like Swindon are often abandoned once they stop making money.
Around 83% of racing greyhounds come from Ireland, with 15,000 dogs bred each year and a further 5,000 imported. Too many are treated as disposable commodities. If they aren’t fast enough, some are culled before even being recorded. Their racing careers last just 3–5 years, despite the fact they can live up to 15. When profits end, many face grim outcomes, including being shipped abroad, sold for meat, or having their ears cut off to remove ID tags.
The industry causes serious harm. In 2024 alone, 109 dogs were killed on the track. Many greyhounds spend up to 95% of their lives confined to kennels, often muzzled, leading to severe stress and suffering.
I’ve raised this issue in Parliament, including with the Under-Secretary of State for Wales, and followed this up with a meeting with her and her team. I’ve also spoken publicly, including on LBC’s Cross Question, about my commitment to improving animal welfare and protecting greyhounds.
I’m delighted that Wales has now announced a ban. In 2023 alone, Wales saw a 44% increase in non-natural deaths among racing greyhounds, and there is now cross-party agreement that ending the sport is the right decision. Now it’s time for Westminster to follow suit.
And its great news for Pet owners who will benefit from biggest vet sector reforms in 60 years. Prescription fees limited to £21, Comparison website to help you choose your vet and Vets must publish prices. The reforms help households understand what they are paying for, avoid unexpected costs and choose the best value care for their pets.
Embassy of Ukraine
Following successful talks between the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy, the UK and Ukraine have agreed to deepen their partnership, combining Ukrainian expertise with the UK’s industrial strength to produce drones and other defence capabilities.
It was therefore a real honour to meet Ukrainian members of parliament Lesia Vasylenko and Yehor Cherniev and engage directly with Ukrainian political and business leaders at today’s roundtable.
The deal includes a £500,000 UK investment in an AI centre of excellence in Kyiv to advance battlefield applications, alongside closer defence cooperation with international partners to strengthen global security.
The two countries have also signed a new agreement on civil space collaboration, marking a significant step in their growing scientific and technological ties.
By strengthening these partnerships, we are supporting Ukraine’s defence against Russian aggression while preparing the UK and its allies for future challenges.
Continuing defence policy talks in Parliament
In the past month I hosted two Defence policy roundtables. The first on Autonomy and AI-Enabled Systems with Defence Connect, and spoke alongside ARX Robotics UK CEO David Roberts, Director of GRAIL at Tiberius Aerospace, and Air Commodore Blythe Crawford CBE.
We discussed the value of autonomy on the modern battlefield and how, as a country of 70 million, it helps ensure we can punch above our weight. We also covered the importance of industry–government collaboration, and the lessons we have learned from the war in Ukraine and now the conflict in Iran.
In addition, I hosted Zelim’s Chief Strategy Officer Andrew Tipping to talk to SMEs on the NATO DIANA programme, brought together by IoT Tribe.
We heard directly from founders and technical leaders about the realities of taking defence and dual-use technologies to market — the challenges, trade-offs, and ambitions involved in building solutions where performance truly matters. Zelim, a former UKDI-funded company and part of the NATO DIANA 2025 cohort, showcased how AI-enabled maritime safety systems can detect man-overboard incidents, track people in the water, and support rapid rescue in high-stakes environments.
St Helena Day
Did you know that Swindon has the largest St Helenian community in the UK?
If you’d like to be added to the email mailing list for the St Helena Government UK Representative, please email will.stone.mp@parliament.uk with the subject line “St Helenian community Swindon.
This helps you stay informed about news, events, and updates related to St Helena.
How to reach out for support:
To get in touch email Will.Stone.MP@Parliament.UK if you need support from me or my office.
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