The UK government’s recently published Industrial Strategy has sparked sharp criticism from Sarah Gibson, the Liberal Democrat MP for Chippenham, who argues that Wiltshire has been completely overlooked despite its significant economic role.
Gibson highlighted that throughout the 160-page national strategy and the accompanying South West regional plan, Wiltshire is not mentioned once. She sees this omission as a clear indication that policymakers lack understanding of the rural economy and its vital importance.
“There isn’t a single mention of Wiltshire or any of the rural market towns that are the backbone of our region,” Gibson said. “The government talks abundantly about ‘levelling up,’ yet when it comes to action, Wiltshire remains invisible.”
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While the national strategy briefly references rural areas once, the South West-specific plan makes no acknowledgment of Wiltshire at all. This silence is particularly striking given the county’s role in advanced manufacturing, defence innovation, and the agri-food sector—all highlighted as priorities in the strategy documents.
“Our farming communities are ready to lead on sustainable technology, food security, and achieving net zero,” Gibson stated. “But these ambitions are absent from the government’s plan, reflecting a disconnect from the realities of rural life.”
She described the exclusion as a “slap in the face” to residents in the South West who have long felt marginalized by government policies.
“This strategy is meant to shape the future economy, yet after hundreds of pages, Wiltshire doesn’t get a single sentence,” Gibson added. “It’s as if the government can’t even locate Wiltshire on a map.”
In response, Gibson is urging an urgent review of the Industrial Strategy to include clear commitments to Wiltshire and rural England. She argues that meaningful support would involve scrapping what she calls the “damaging jobs tax and family farm tax” in favor of fairer measures, alongside renegotiating a UK-EU customs union to foster trade.
“If the government refuses to recognise the strength of Wiltshire’s rural economy, the Liberal Democrats will step up to do so,” she concluded.