Thank you for reading my October newsletter. It’s been an exceptionally busy month in Parliament and here in Cardiff East as we get on with delivering the change that people voted for in July.
 
I’ve been out knocking doors, chatting to residents across the constituency, sharing details of our progress and showing how the changes we’re making will improve lives and living standards.

In Cardiff East

Pensioner Advice Day

More than £12.3 million worth of Pension Credit goes unclaimed in Cardiff with many residents unaware that they are entitled to receive it. This month, I held a Pensioners' Advice Day at the British Legion in Llanrumney to help residents over the age of 65 access the support available to them. 
 
A big thank you to all the organisations who came and provided  their expert advice and support to nearly 70 constituents who came along.

Celebrating 40 Years of Cutest

Cutest has led the field in the scientific testing of cosmetics, toiletries and dermatology products for 40 years, with global clients like L’Oréal, Idris Elba and Boots, to name just a few.

It was a real privilege to join staff, volunteers, clients, and the Chief Executive, Stewart Long at their premises in Pentwyn to celebrate their 40th anniversary. The company was founded by a Professor of Dermatology at Cardiff University in 1984. Cutest puts more than £250,000 into the pockets of local people in Pentwyn every year.
 
Learn how you can get involved here. 

Congratulations Welsh National Opera & No Fit State

Huge congratulations to the Welsh National Opera and Adamsdown's No Fit State Circus who were awarded the UK Theatre Award for Achievement in Opera in recognition of their fantastic 'Death in Venice' production. Great to see Welsh and especially Cardiff East talent securing UK wide accolades.

New Homes for Rumney Complete

It’s fantastic news that Cardiff Labour Council's award-winning housing development in Rumney has now been completed with new residents about to move into their new homes.. 
 
Every home on the Aspen Grove site includes ground source heat pumps, battery storage, electric vehicle charging points and Intelligent Energy System controls, meaning cheaper bills.
 
I hope everyone in Aspen Grove will be very happy in their new homes. 

10 years of Show Racism the Red Card’s "Wear Red Day"

I'm proud to have supported the anti-racism education charity 'Show Racism the Red Card' (SRTRC) for more than 30 years, first as a trade union lawyer and now as your MP for Cardiff East.
 
This year, I joined my constituency team to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SRTRC's 'Wear Red Day'. They do brilliant work with children in many different education settings to understand and learn how to reject racism when they see or hear it. Over a million children have benefited from their work.

Learn how you can get involved with Show Racism the Red Card here. 

Cardiff Council's Parking Plan Consultation

Cardiff Council has launched a six-week consultation on its new parking plan for our city. These are new proposals that would adopt an area-based approach to managing parking across the city giving  residents a better chance to park on their own street, or adjoining streets close to their home. 
 
Have your say on the plans here.

Reservoir Visitor Centre Wins Award

If you haven’t already been to the new visitor centre at Llanishen and Lisvane Reservoir, it's definitely worth a visit. The centre offers fantastic food and community rooms with stunning views.

Alongside its popularity with visitors, it has now been named one of the best sustainable development projects in the UK by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

Read more here.

St John Lloyd R.C Primary School 

Thanks to pupils from St John Lloyd R.C. Primary School in Trowbridge who grilled me online following Prime Minister’s Questions with loads of questions about issues that matter to them and about what I do as their MP.
 
They asked some very difficult and probing questions on issues like education, mental health and climate change and told me what new laws they would like to see the government introduce.

The children had also been on a visit to Parliament earlier this year and really enjoyed it. If you know a school in Cardiff East that would like to visit Parliament, please contact my office and we will help to arrange it.

Across Wales

A Budget That Delivers for Wales

The Budget has delivered for Wales for the first time in a generation. Working with the Chancellor, I am proud to have secured the biggest ever budget settlement for Welsh Government since devolution began. It provides a record boost to spending for the Welsh Government to support public services like our NHS, whilst thousands of working people across Wales, will benefit from increases to their wages. 
 
This budget will deliver:
 
• Record additional funding of more than £1.7 billion to support public services in Wales, with a focus on strengthening our NHS and bringing down waiting times.
• £100m to support steel communities through the Transition Board, which I chair and Port Talbot town centre regeneration funding.
• £88m for City and Growth Deals including Cardiff Capital City Region
• £25m to continue the maintenance that keeps coal tips safe in former mining areas.
• £320m to drive economic growth with Investment Zones in Cardiff and Newport, and in Wrexham and Flintshire, freeports in Milford Haven and Port Talbot that will boost local economies and create high-quality jobs for the future.
• £440m Levelling Up Funding protected for local communities right across Wales.
• Record increases in the minimum wage with a 6.7% increase (£1400 extra per year for a full time worker) and a 16.3% increase for 18 – 20 year olds (£2500 extra per year for a full time worker).
• Fuel Duty frozen benefitting around 2.1m people in Wales.
• State Pension increase of 4.1% benefitting around 600,000 pensioners across Wales.
• Households eligible for Pension Credit will see a 4.1% increase, meaning £465 more for single pensioners and up to £7210 for couples, benefitting 80,000 pensioners across Wales. 
• Carer’s Allowance weekly earnings limit increased by £45 per week, the biggest ever increase since it was introduced.
• NO INCREASE TO INCOME TAX RATES, EMPLOYEE NATIONAL INSURANCE CONTRIBUTIONS AND VAT.

This Budget demonstrates the difference that two Labour governments working in partnership can achieve for Wales. Find out what this budget means for you here.

Getting the Economy Growing and Raising Living Standards

The UK Labour Government has secured more than £63bn of investment following our successful International Investment Summit, hosted by the Prime Minister. Joined by First Minister Eluned Morgan, I was pleased to bring together 300 industry leaders to unleash opportunities for Welsh innovation, creativity, and industry.

North East Wales, in particular has seen a huge boost to investment we took office in July. A major £1bn project, supported by both UK and Welsh Labour Governments in partnership with Eren Holdings, will see the largest recycled paper plant in the UK built in Deeside on the site of the old Shotton Steelworks. This project will secure 147 jobs and create 220 more, marking a significant boost for the local economy.

This follows an announcement that Kellogg's owner, Kellanova, is investing £75 million to expand its Wrexham factory, introducing two advanced production lines and generating 130 new jobs.

These investments have been made possible by two Labour Governments working hand-in-hand to drive growth and innovation in Wales.

Clean Power by 2030

Wales is at the forefront of the UK Labour Government's mission to achieve clean energy by 2030. Last month, we announced 7 new clean energy projects in Wales, set to generate over 157 megawatts of affordable, homegrown, clean energy for households and businesses across the country.

A key element of these plans will be the new Clean Energy Hub at the Port of Barry, that I visited this month which will attract new businesses, investors and new jobs for the town.

In the Budget, we also unveiled funding for a groundbreaking green hydrogen project in Bridgend, which is set to be one of the first commercial-scale projects of its kind anywhere in the world. 

These plans follow the announcement of £22 billion for cutting-edge carbon capture technology which will help us achieve our net-zero goals, create jobs and boost growth across North Wales.

Together, we are building a greener, more prosperous Wales.

In Parliament

Celebrating Labour's First 100 Days

This month, Labour marked 100 days in Government. We are already getting on with the work of change, from strengthening our public services to bringing forward the biggest changes to employment laws for a generation.

This is just the beginning. Change means nothing short of national renewal. Together, we will build a Britain that delivers for working people. 

Read more about our first 100 days here.

Introducing the New Deal for Working People

This month, the UK Labour Government delivered on its manifesto commitment to bring forward an Employment Rights Bill within the first 100 days of taking office.

The Bill will update the UK’s outdated employment laws and turn the page on an economy blighted by insecurity, poor productivity and low pay. This will include ending exploitative zero hours contracts and fire and rehire practices, establishing day one rights for paternity, parental and bereavement leave for millions of workers, and strengthening statutory sick pay.

Protecting Our Rivers and Oceans

Once the Commission’s work has been completed, it will report with a set of recommendations to both Governments next year.

Removing Hereditary Peers from the House of Lords

The continued presence of hereditary peers in our legislature is indefensible. In the 21st Century there should not be places for people to make laws, reserved just for those who were born into certain families.

This UK Labour Government is making an immediate start with legislation to remove the right of hereditary peers to sit and vote in the House of Lords. This is an important first step in the reform of our political systems.

Tackling Car Insurance Costs

Car insurance is essential for drivers, not a luxury. But the rising cost of cover is unacceptable. 

The UK Government is determined to secure a better deal for drivers. We have set up a new expert taskforce to identify and root out the causes of rising insurance costs, to bring down the cost of living and ensure drivers are safe on the roads.

Renters' Rights Bill

Millions of people live in fear that they could be uprooted from their homes with little notice and minimal justification. Reform of the private rental sector is long overdue. I'm proud to be a named backer of Labour's Renters Rights Bill which will provide greater security and stability to more than 11 million private renters across the UK. This will represent the most significant reforms to the private rental sector in over 40 years.

Football Governance Bill

Football clubs are more than businesses, they provide a sense of community and pride in our local areas. But for too long, financial instability has meant loyal fans and whole communities have risked losing their clubs as a result of mismanagement and reckless spending.

Labour's Football Governance Bill will put fans back at the heart of the game, taking on rogue owners and crucially helping to put clubs up and down the country on a sound financial footing.

The Bill will include a minimum standard of fan engagement in decision-making and introduce new statutory protections for a club's heritage like their home shirt colours and club badges. This comes after Cardiff City fans had to fight to restore our iconic blue shirt and bluebird crest. 

See the Cardiff City Supporters' Trust's endorsement of Labour's Bill here.

Sixty Years of the Wales Office

This month marks 60 years since the creation of the Wales Office. I was pleased to host a celebration of this milestone and bring together a number of my predecessors and guests from across Wales.

It is critical that Wales has a strong voice at the Cabinet table and as Secretary of State for Wales I am committed to working steadfastly to advocate on behalf of our nation.

Working in a relationship of trust, respect and collaboration with Welsh Government, we will deliver on the priorities of the people of Wales.

Watch my speech to mark the occasion here.

From Left: Former Secretaries of State for Wales, David T.C. Davies, Peter Hain, Alun Michael and Paul Murphy