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Cardiff Council has announced plans for a cleaner, greener, more modern public transport system. The proposals include an expanded bus service with cheaper £1 fares, a new tram network and enhanced regional
transport links.
The report brought to Cardiff Council’s Cabinet warns that without the introduction of a ring-fenced road user payment – it’s unlikely Cardiff will ever get the transport system it ‘desperately
needs’.
With road transport accounting for almost 40% of Cardiff's carbon emissions, these measures will go a long way to reduce harmful air pollution, help make residents healthier and help us reach our climate commitments.
Read more about the plans and public consultation here.
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At the end of the month, I joined First Minister, Mark Drakeford MS, Hannah Blythyn MS, Generla Secretary of Wales TUC, Shav Taj and friends from across the trade union and Labour movement to mark International
Workers Memorial Day.
No-one should go to work and not come home at the end of the day. No family should ever have to suffer that grief. Workplace deaths from accidents and occupational disease should not happen.
Every year on 28th April, I think of those many families who I had the privilege to represent at Thompsons Solicitors who had lost someone through employer negligence in the workplace. I will never forget
them.
Thank you to every trade union health and safety rep who leads the fight to ensure safety at work for their colleagues and families.
Remember the dead and fight for the living.
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Latest findings by the Trussell Trust have shown a devastating increase in emergency food parcels and reveal the price people in Wales are paying for 13 years of Tory economic failure.
Food banks are stepping in because Conservative ministers in Westminster let inflation soar, increased taxes on working people and crashed the economy forcing up mortgages and rents.
A UK Labour government will provide support for domestic energy-intensive food manufacturers and processors to bring down the cost of food, paid for with a proper windfall tax on oil and gas giants.
Read
the findings in full here.
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It was fascinating to visit Cardiff based, Space Forge to learn more about their ground breaking advanced manufacturing work and plans for the future.
Space Forge is leading the 'new clean industrial
revolution' with the development of the world's first returnable satellite which will be used to produce particular materials that are very difficult or impossible to manufacture on Earth – such
as new alloys, medicines, and semiconductors. Thanks to Josh and Lewis for a really constructive and fascinating discussion.
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Since October last year, 30,000 trees have been planted in Cardiff as part of the Coed Caerdydd project.
Residents, local community groups and schools have all played their part in planting 11.5 hectares
of land, the equivalent of 21 football pitches, with trees.
But there is still much more we can do to increase Cardiff’s tree canopy from 18.9% to 25%.
Find out how you can get involved
here.
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It was lovely to have been invited to Albany Primary School breakfast club to catch up with Mr Howlett, staff and children.
I am pleased to have worked alongside staff to secure funding of up to £1,000 to ensure every child starts their day with a healthy, nutritious breakfast.
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Earlier this month, I visited RISE which provides fully integrated services, alongside their partners BAWSO and Llamau, to victims of domestic and sexual violence, forced marriage and stalking.
I
was pleased to discuss the importance of supporting women & children throughout their whole journey. We also discussed how we can retain expert specialist staff who are passionate about providing support
but are suffering as a result of the cost of living crisis.
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Its not just electric cars that are growing in popularity. Electric bike sales are growing and so I was pleased to be able to visit a local business, The Electric Bike Shop Cardiff on Queen Street,
to try one out. This is the company’s first shop in Wales and more are planned.
If your employer is part of the nationwide Cycle to Work Scheme, you can save money on the purchase of both electric and traditional bikes.
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A pleasure to meet with staff and residents at Lakeside Care Home which has recently received funding from Barclays to expand capacity and upgrade facilities.
I will also be keeping an eye out for Matron, Helen Simmonds BEM, who will be attending the King’s coronation next Friday.
Thank you to Phil, Helen and the team for showing me around.
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It was brilliant to visit the ITV Wales Studios in Cardiff Bay to see their production facilities, learn more about on-screen & digital output and to meet some of their incredible team.
I was also pleased to meet new media apprentices Chantelle and Rosie and have the opportunity to watch the news live from the control room.
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After almost 23 years of service to the people of Penylan, Neil and Rachel Robjohn have announced that they will be closing their store in Waterloo Gardens.
I would like to thank Neil
and Rachel for everything they have done for our local community and wish them all the best for the future. We’ll miss them.
Read more about their story here.
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Wales’s leading alternative network provider – Ogi – has revealed plans to roll out it’s bespoke full fibre network to Cardiff in a multi-million-pound bandwidth boost.
I was
really pleased to meet with representatives of Ogi to hear how their hardware will provide ultrafast and reliable connectivity to businesses across the city without the need for expensive leased lines.
The rollout is expected to be completed by early 2024, with the first services available much sooner as the network is switched on in stages. This is part of Ogi’s initial phase to bring full fibre connectivity
to 150,000 premises across south Wales.
Read more about the project here.
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As the Tory cost of living crisis continues, I know that many households across Cardiff Central are finding coping with utility bills, food shopping and debt management more and more difficult.
I
want to make it as easy as possible for residents to access any help you may entitled to, so I've put together a cost of living advice hub. this includes links to support for gas, electricity and
water bills, and any benefits or discounts you may be entitled to.
Cost of living advice hub
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My advice surgery dates for May are below. These are an opportunity for anyone living in Cardiff Central to come and chat to me about any issue you might need assistance with or, to ask any question you have
about my work in Parliament and here, on your behalf.
You can see my full plan of surgeries dates online using the link below – please call my office on 029 2132 9736 – or email me at [email protected] to make an appointment.
• Friday 12th May – Pentwyn
• Friday 19th May – Cyncoed
• Friday 26th May - Adamsdown
My team and I can also help over email and telephone and you’re very welcome to get in touch.
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This month in Welsh Questions in the Commons, I called out the Government for their failing record on the economy. While household bills have skyrocketed and people face the highest tax burden in 70 years,
the Tories have prioritised protecting and rewarding the super-wealthy.
Watch my contributions here.
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The Prime Minister has no mandate from the public. People need to be given the opportunity to make a choice about what government they want.
Rather than wait 12 or 18 months, Rishi Sunak should call a general election now.
Watch my latest comments to ITV Wales here.
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Labour believes in a properly managed and effective asylum system so that across the UK we fulfil our humanitarian and legal obligations, to help those fleeing persecution and conflict.
The Tories have broken our asylum system, caused total chaos so that the speed and quality of decision making has collapsed, the backlog of cases has soared with the resulting cost to the public purse of increasing
hotel use for people who need a decision on their case so they can work and rebuild their lives.
Tory Ministers have promised for years that their policies would end dangerous channel crossings and speed up the asylum system but instead they have repeatedly made things worse.
Labour will go after the criminal smuggler and trafficking gangs who are profiting from putting lives at risk. We will clear the asylum case backlog and end hotel use and, we will work internationally to ensure
safe returns as well as establishing properly managed and controlled safe, legal routes for people.
The Tory government’s “Illegal Migration Bill” will not fix the problem they have created. It will do the opposite. That’s why I and my Labour colleagues have voted against it.
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The Tory sewage scandal has polluted waters and open spaces across the country, with filthy raw sewage. To make matters worse, not only have the Tories given the green light for water companies to dump sewage
and neglect our vital water infrastructure, but they've also rewarded them for it.
Over the last year, shareholders have walked away with billions in dividends, while negligent water bosses pocket bumper bonuses. This cannot continue.
In the absence of any credible plan from the Tory government, Labour brought forward legislation to end clean up the mess. Our Water Quality Bill, would have delivered mandatory monitoring on all sewage outlets,
introduced automatic fines for discharges, and imposed ambitious targets to stop systematic sewage dumping.
It was disappointing to see so many Tory MP’s line up once again, to vote to keep dumping raw sewage into our rivers and oceans. The next Labour government will put Britain's interests before shareholders
and make our waters safe and clean for future generations.
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At least 10,000 financial scams are committed every day, often against pensioners. Every year, millions of people are the victims of online fraud. It is the biggest category of crime in the UK and
those who commit it seem to have complete impunity.
It doesn't have to be this way. There is one step the Tory government could take immediately. Labour is proposing that no phone call made from overseas using a UK telephone number should have that
number displayed when it appears on a UK mobile phone or digital landline; and that all mobile calls from overseas using a UK number should be blocked unless the network provider confirms that
the known bill payer for that number is currently roaming.
This would be just one step of the many we need to take to tackle Britain’s fraud crisis.
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More than 100 politicians from 18 countries have signed a joint statement in opposition to the Tory government’s anti-strike legislation.
The Tories have tried to justify their draconian ‘Minimum Service Laws’ by drawing on international comparisons with France, Italy and Spain.
These comparisons have been totally rejected by the 121 signatories, which includes politicians from Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. Amongst the supporters of this joint statement are politicians from governing parties, former ministers and a former Prime Minister.
Labour is completely opposed to this attack on the fundamental right to strike and we will repeal the legislation in government. Not only that, we will bring forward new employment rights legislation to ensure that everyone, from their first day at work, has rights and protections under the law.
Read the statement in full here.
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In the space of a year, Menopause Mandate launched a hotline, published a book and spread menopause awareness to millions on TV, radio and social media.
It was great to join Carolyn Harris
MP and other Parliamentary colleagues to celebrate this incredible milestone.
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The Charity Retail Sector raised £363m for good causes in 2021/22 and help to divert over 330,000 tonnes of clothes from landfill sites every year.
I was pleased to meet with representatives of the Charity Retail Association to discuss how the cost of living crisis is affecting the sector and share my support for local charity shops in Cardiff Central.
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