Thank you for reading my newsletter. It has been a busy few weeks back in Parliament delivering on our missions for change and announcing our next steps at Labour's annual conference in Liverpool.

Thanks to your support, as we Build a Britain that delivers for working people.

In Cardiff East

Growing Cardiff's Economy

Exciting news for Cardiff as the latest Good Growth for Cities Index from PwC highlights the city’s strong economic growth, which has been forecasted to continue through to 2025. 

Cardiff has not only outpaced larger UK cities like Glasgow, Manchester, and Bristol, but it also ranks third overall for GVA growth, behind only London and its boroughs.

This success is a testament to the hard work of Cardiff Labour Council, which is working closely with Labour colleagues in the Welsh Government and UK Labour Government to deliver on our shared mission for sustainable growth. With continued collaboration, we will ensure that Cardiff remains forward-looking with policies that will drive our city’s strong economic performance long into the future.

Read more in my blog.

Cardiff Crossrail

Cardiff Labour Council has revealed an exciting vision for Cardiff Crossrail, a major project aimed at connecting Cardiff Bay to Cardiff Central station.

The plan also outlines future expansions extending from the northwest to the east of the city, promising a significant boost to Cardiff’s public transportation network.

Have your say on the proposals here.

MacMillan Coffee Morning

My annual coffee morning in support of Macmillan took place this month at the Royal British Legion in Llanrumney. I was pleased to be joined this year by Vaughan Gething MS.

Thank you to all the local residents who came along to raise vital funds for Macmillan.

One in three of us will have cancer at some point in our lives and so many people with cancer
and their families have been supported by the wonderful Macmillan nursing teams. Thank you
to everyone who contributed.

Cardiff Music City Festival Launch

Cardiff is a city brought alive with music. Great to join friends friends from across our city for the official opening of the inaugural Cardiff City Festival Launch at the University of South Wales Atrium. 

Jointly funded by Cardiff Labour Council and the Welsh Labour Government, this three-week festival will put 25 iconic music venues front and centre, featuring hundreds of musicians in over 80 events.

There is truly something for everyone. If you are looking to discover home grown talent or hear international stars, the Cardiff Music City Festival is place to be. View the full line-up here. 

Have Your Say on Police & Crime in Cardiff East

Have your say here.

Newly Refurbished Tennis Courts for Rumney

Rumney Hill Gardens offers tremendous views across Cardiff East and a range of leisure activities. I was pleased to be invited by the Lawn Tennis Association to see their newly refurbished courts at the park.

The refurbishments are part of the LTA's Park Tennis Project, through which it is delivering a £30 million investment by the UK Government and LTA Tennis Foundation to transform courts across Wales. A combination of free and low cost tennis fees has been introduced for online booking and community group access, with a £39 a year membership for courts across Cardiff, including those at Roath Rec.

Rompney Castle Saved from Demolition

The Rompney Castle has been part of the Rumney landscape since the 1870s. I am pleased that following the tireless efforts of local Labour Councillors Bob Derbyshire and Jackie Parry, the building will be retained for generations to come. 

This follows yet another attempt to demolish this historic building which has been rejected by Cardiff Labour Council. 

The Rumney Labour Team will continue to work with local residents to prevent the vandalism and anti-social behaviour that has blighted the building for many months.

Read more in my blog.

Across Wales

New & Improved Port Talbot Deal

This month the Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds and I announced a new, improved Port Talbot deal for workers following an agreement between the UK Labour Government, Tata Steel and Trade Unions.

This improved deal secures the immediate future of Port Talbot steelworks, lays the foundations for future investment, and enhances protections for the workforce across South Wales, all without further cost to the taxpayer.

Find out more about the deal here.

New Clean Energy Projects for Wales

This UK Labour Government has taken another huge step to achieving our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. 

We're investing in 7 new energy projects that will generate 157 megawatts of homegrown, cheap and cleaner energy for households and businesses across Wales.

Congratulations Paralympics GB

Wales continues to shine on the Paralympic stage, bringing home 16 medals from Paris - the highest number since the Athens Games in 2004.

Congratulations to all the athletes who competed and those who secured medals. Your remarkable achievements serve as a powerful inspiration to young people across Wales and beyond, demonstrating that with perseverance, no  challenge is too difficult to overcome.

Paralympic Coverage Breaks Records

This year’s Paralympics not only set new sporting records, they also achieved impressive broadcasting milestones, reaching 18.5 million viewers over 4.3 billion minutes of coverage across the United Kingdom.

This success was possible thanks to Wales-based production company, Whisper. With around 200 staff members based in Cardiff, producing over 4.3 billion minutes of coverage for Channel 4.

This achievement follows an £800,000 investment from Creative Wales production funding provided by the Welsh Labour Government, aimed at supporting a range of broadcasting projects from Wales.

Airbus Visit

I was pleased to visit Broughton, home to Airbus in North Wales, to discuss the company's plans for further investment in the Welsh economy.

Airbus manufactures the wings for all its aircraft, including for its latest innovation, the A350, at Broughton. This presents fantastic opportunities for young people to gain hands-on experience through degree apprenticeships.

Working with partners like Airbus is central to this UK Labour Government's Industrial Strategy, which will drive economic growth and ensure it benefits every corner of Wales.

Learn more about my visit here.

Public Sector Pay Rise

Public sector workers are the backbone of our nation and Labour is committed to ensuring they are fairly rewarded for the vital work they do. 

As part of this commitment, public sector workers in Wales, including NHS staff and teachers, will receive pay increases ranging from 5% to 6% in 2024-25. 

Read more here.

Investing in North Wales

The UK and Welsh Labour Governments have jointly announced £1bn worth of investment into Shotton paper mill in Deeside. This represents the largest inward investment in North Wales in North Wales in a generation. 

This is what happens when you have two Labour Governments working hand in hand. 

Read more here. 

In Parliament

Welsh Questions

It was an honour to answer questions for the first time on behalf of the new Labour Government as Secretary of State for Wales. This was a huge opportunity to set out how this government is delivering for people across Wales. 

From steelmaking to the clean energy transition, this UK Labour Government is harnessing Wales' potential and delivering on the ambition to create wealth in every corner of Wales. 

Watch my Welsh Questions appearance here.

Budget Responsibility Bill

One of the first acts of this incoming UK Labour Government was to bring forward the Budget Responsibility Bill. I am pleased to say that this has now become law.

This will deliver on Labour's promise to establish a fiscal lock to prevent a repeat of Lizz Truss' disastrous mini-budget.

After 14 years of Conservative chaos, this Bill is a key step towards fixing the foundations of our economy, to rebuild Britain, and make every part of the country better off. 

Read more about the Budget Responsibility Bill here.

Protecting the Pensions Triple Lock

This UK Labour Government is dedicated to ensuring a fair and secure retirement for all pensioners across the country. We will protect the triple lock, guaranteeing that pensions continue to rise each year in line with earnings, inflation, or 2.5% - whichever is highest. This will safeguard pensioners' incomes from falling behind the cost of living and will be worth an extra £1,700 by the time of the next election.

However, we must be honest about the difficult decisions ahead to address the £22bn black hole left by the previous Tory Government. By introducing means testing for the Winter Fuel Allowance, we will restore economic stability while ensuring that support is directed to the pensioners who need it most.

Almost 1 in 3 people over 65 are unaware that they may be entitled to Pension Credit, which could be worth up to £3,900 extra a year in addition to the Winter Fuel Allowance. 

Find out if you are entitled to Pension credit by contacting the Pension Credit Helpline on 0800 99 1234 or click here.

Ending Tax Breaks on Private Schools

Labour is committed to breaking down the barriers to opportunity, ensuring every child has the chance to succeed. We will achieve this with a determined campaign to raise school standards and recruiting new teachers in key subjects.

During the election, we outlined exactly how we will fund this investment—by ending tax breaks for private schools and reinvesting that revenue into the state education system.

Labour will ensure that no child is left behind. By taking these steps, we will expand the opportunities available to the nine out of ten children who attend a state school.

Protection Zones Around Abortion Clincs

I have long campaigned for the provision of safe, effective, and accessible reproductive healthcare for every woman and girl who needs it. That includes being able to access abortion services without having to deal with protesters outside such settings, causing fear, harassment and alarm.

I am really pleased that the UK Labour Government is is implementing safe access buffer zones around clinics, which will make it illegal for anyone to do anything that intentionally or recklessly influences someone’s decision to use abortion services, obstructs them, or causes harassment or distress to someone using or working at these premises. The law will apply within a 150 metre radius of the abortion service provider.

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report

This month saw the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Report. The findings are deeply concerning, making clear that the tragic deaths of 72 people were entirely avoidable and that residents were repeatedly let down by the UK Government and institutions that should have protected them.

Everyone has the right to expect a safe, secure, decent home, no matter their background. The UK Labour Government will consider all 58 of the Inquiry’s recommendations in detail and will respond in full to the Inquiry’s recommendations within six months and update Parliament annually on the progress of every commitment we make. 

Read more here.

At Labour Conference

Change Begins

The Prime Minister, Keir Starmer came to conference with a clear message: change has begun.

This Labour Government has worked in partnership with our trade union colleagues to bring an end to public sector strikes. We have kickstarted a clean energy transformation with the launch of GB Energy. And we are bringing our railways into public ownership. And we're only getting started. 

This isn't a short-term project, it is a decade of national renewal. Together, we will build a Britain that belongs to all of us.

Rebuilding Britain

In her first speech to annual conference since becoming Chancellor, Rachel Reeves promised a budget that will rebuild Britain and deliver the change Labour promised. 

Rachel confirmed that there will be no return to austerity. We will take the tough decisions to deal with the disastrous legacy by the Tories, while remaining ambitious for the Britain we will build. 

This UK Labour Government's first budget will deliver on our manifesto commitments, while maintaining the economic and fiscal stability. 

Read more here.

Wales in Partnership

It was a privilege to address Labour conference for the first time as Secretary of State for Wales to announce a new approach for Wales. One in which partnership between the UK and Welsh Labour Governments is front and centre. 

The first step in this new partnership to bring down waiting lists and share best practice will involve UK government learning from Wales on dentistry, where reforms have unlocked almost 400,000 appointments in the last two years.

And the Welsh NHS will benefit from best practice shared by NHS England, with the roll out of new, more productive ways of working across England to deliver 40,000 extra appointments every week. 

Mutual Aid Partnerships will see English Trusts and Welsh Health Boards helping each other to identify capacity to get more operations done and bring down waiting lists on both sides of the border. 

This is only possible because we now have two Labour governments with a changed Wales Office and a strong voice across UK government working together to help improve NHS outcomes in both nations and deliver on our mission to cut waiting lists.

Watch my speech in full here. 

Britain is Back

The Tories destroyed Britain's standing on the world stage.

Since taking office, the Foreign Secretary, David Lammy has set to work to restore our international reputation.

We are resetting our relationship with Europe and reaffirming our commitment to working alongside international partners to address shared challenges. From tackling the energy crisis to supporting Ukraine, Labour is taking decisive action on global issues. He also recommitted this Labour Government to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the safe release of all hostages, and the swift delivery of humanitarian aid.

This Labour government is dedicated to reconnecting Britain with the world, putting diplomacy and collaboration at the heart of our foreign policy.

Safer Streets

The Tories have left a devastating legacy on our communities, with too few police, crimes going unsolved, criminals getting off and victims not receiving the support they desperately need. 

At Conference, Yvette Cooper outlined Labour’s commitment to tackling knife crime, pledging to introduce new laws on dangerous online weapon sales and preventing young people from entering a life of crime. She also announced a new concerted effort to tackle violence against women and girls by overhauling protection orders, introducing new laws on spiking and online image abuse, as well as introducing new dedicated domestic abuse specialists in 999 control rooms.

These measures are our first steps towards achieving our mission for Safer Streets.

Labour Unions Rally

I was glad to join the annual Labour Unions rally at conference. This was a great opportunity to share with trade unionists the progress taking place to legislate Labour's New Deal for Working People. 

The New Deal is the biggest transformation of workers rights for a generation. We will:

• Ban exploitative zero-hours contracts
• End fire & rehire
• Ensure basic rights from day one
• Introduce a genuine living wage
• Strengthen trade union rights

We promised we would bring forward this legislation within the first 100 days of a UK Labour Government. Working together with trade unions and businesses, we will will deliver just that. 

Welsh Night

It was fantastic to join Eluned Morgan and Welsh Labour members to welcome UK Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Welsh night to a packed hall of Welsh delegates, visitors, businesses and elected representatives.

With two Labour Governments working together, we are delivering on the priorities of Welsh people.