Wiltshire MP slams lack of county inclusion in Government Industrial Plan
Sarah Gibson has suggested the Government couldn't find Wiltshire on a map
Last updated 30th Jun 2025
Chippenham MP Sarah Gibson has criticised the Government for failing to mention Wiltshire in its latest Industrial Plan.
The Government's newly unveiled plan aims to "help us seize the most significant opportunities and create the most favourable conditions in key UK sectors for the companies of the future to emerge here".
The plan sets out a 10-year plan to boost business investment in 8-sectors driving growth, by making it quicker and easier for businesses to invest and providing them with the certainty and stability needed for long-term investment decisions.
But Ms Gibson has blasted the Government for 'failing to understand the rural economy'.
The Lib Dem MP said: "This Government talks about levelling up, but when it comes to action, Wiltshire is nowhere to be seen,”
"The Industrial Strategy makes only one reference to rural areas across its 160 pages. In the South West plan, released at the same time, there is not a single mention of Wiltshire."
She continued: “Wiltshire is home to a growing advanced manufacturing base, military and defence innovation, and agri-food enterprises—all sectors which the Industrial Strategy claims to prioritise. Yet none of this is acknowledged in either the main strategy or in its South West plan.”
“Our farming communities are ready to lead in sustainable technology, food security, and net zero goals, but the Government’s strategy does not talk about this at all.
“Once again, this Government has shown it simply does not understand the rural economy.”
Ms Gibson adds that the lack of investment in the county feels like a "slap in the face" for people living in rural areas.
"The Industrial Strategy is supposed to guide and transform the economy for the foreseeable future. After hundreds of pages of promises and policies, the Government could not be bothered to muster one sentence for the people of Wiltshire.
“This leaves me feeling as if the Government could not point to Wiltshire on a map,” she said.
The Chippenham MP is calling for a review of the Industrial Strategy to include specific commitments to Wiltshire and rural England.
She said: "If the Government is truly serious about backing British business, the announcement must be followed with U-turns on the damaging jobs tax and family farm tax - with revenue raised instead through the fairer ways we’ve set out - and negotiations on a new UK-EU customs union that will deliver new trading opportunities for businesses across the UK.”