Thank you for reading my monthly newsletter for October. It’s been
another busy few weeks in Cardiff East and Parliament, with lots going
on locally and nationally.

As always, if you need support, please get in touch using the details
below:

 

☎️ 02921 329736

✉️ [email protected]

 

NEWS FROM CARDIFF EAST

 

ROLLS ROYCE SUBMARINES CREATING NEW JOBS IN CARDIFF EAST

Rolls-Royce Submarines has chosen St Mellons for its new office,
bringing over 100 highly-skilled jobs to Cardiff East.

 

This investment supports the UK’s submarine programmes and reflects
Wales’s growing role in defence and advanced manufacturing. With
long-term opportunities in engineering and design, it’s a real boost
for our local economy.

 

I was pleased to join the First Minister to officially open the site
and welcome this exciting development to our community.

 

Read more about Rolls Royce Submarines investment here
[[link removed]].

SUPPORTING LIVE MUSIC VENUES

The Gate in Roath is a great community venue that plays an important
role in supporting local talent, providing a platform for emerging and
established artists from Cardiff and across Wales. It’s a beautiful
space, with brilliant acoustics, based in a former church.

I’m really pleased The Gate will receive support from Creative
Wales’s Music Capital Fund, helping to protect its future and build
on the excellent work it’s already doing.

Take a look at what’s on at The Gate here
[[link removed]].

 

THANK YOU, JESS FISHLOCK

Llanrumney’s finest, Jess Fishlock has officially retired from
international football after an extraordinary 19-year career
representing Wales.

 

As our most-capped player and all-time leading goalscorer, Jess has
inspired generations of women and girls across Cardiff East and
beyond.

 

Though she may be hanging up her international football boots, her
legacy will continue to shape the future of Welsh football for years
to come. Thank you, Jess.

 

SUPERWOMAN'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Twenty years ago, my friend and fellow Cardiff lawyer Bethan Darwin,
set up a women’s business networking group called Superwoman.

By bringing together professional women to share skills, advice, and
support, Superwoman has provided a professional and social support
network for women in business, the public sector and third sector
across Cardiff and the valleys.

Superwoman has also raised nearly £100,000 for charity through
networking events and conferences. At the event, over £3000 was
raised for Marie Curie Cymru.

Read more about Superwoman here [[link removed]].

 

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL

I visited serving Armed Forces personnel at Sainsbury’s on
Colchester Avenue to support the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy
Appeal ahead of Remembrance Sunday.

Our UK Labour Government has been determined to improve service life,
the living standards of our Armed Forces and veterans. We’re
strengthening the Armed Forces Covenant, improving support for
veterans, upgrading military housing and this year we implemented the
biggest pay rise for new recruits for 22 years. We must recognise the
extraordinary sacrifices made by our Armed Forces personnel to protect
and serve the UK.

Learn how you can support the Poppy Appeal here
[[link removed]].

 

CARDIFF HALF MARATHON

This year’s Cardiff Half Marathon was record-breaking, with over
27,000 runners taking part, making it one of the biggest half
marathons in Europe.

The route takes in some of the city’s most beautiful sights,
including Roath Rec and Roath Park in Cardiff East, giving runners
from around the world an idea of what makes our city special.

More than £4 million is raised each year for over 120 charities.
Thank you to everyone who took part, volunteered and donated.

 

CARDIFF & VALE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP

Cardiff Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council have signed an
ambitious housing partnership to deliver over 2,200 new homes across
the region, including hundreds for social rent and shared ownership.

 

This builds on the success of Cardiff Living and forms part of the
largest council-led housing programme in Wales.

 

The new homes will be high-quality, energy-efficient and help tackle
housing need across our communities.

 

This is only possible with the partnership formed between our two
Labour Councils, Welsh Labour Government and UK Labour Government.

 

Read more about the new partnership here
[[link removed]].

 

BABY LOSS AWARENESS WEEK

Thirteen families a day face the pain of losing a baby before, during
or shortly after birth. No one should go through that alone.

 

I was proud to support my constituent Kira Smith in organising a
ribbon display at Roath Park to honour the young lives lost and all
those who are grieving. Roath Park Lighthouse and Cardiff Castle were
lit in blue to raise awareness of baby loss.

 

If you or anyone you know needs support or would like to donate,
please visit SANDS, the charity offering vital help to those affected.
Click here for more [[link removed]].

 

CARDIFF EAST RESTAURANTS CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Cardiff East is home to many great restaurants, offering food from all
over the world.

 

This month, I’m pleased to congratulate Empire, Yamas, and Saray on
receiving well-deserved recognition for their culinary excellence.

Each of these restaurants have built something special, combining
talent, dedication and care providing their many loyal customers with
fantastic food and wonderful service. It’s great to see their hard
work recognised and celebrated. Congratulations! 

 

GET VACCINATED

Flu and COVID-19 cases are rising again across Wales. I got my flu jab
this month at Boots in Llanrumney. It was quick, easy and done in
minutes. Thank you to Pav and the fantastic team for fitting me in.

If you're eligible for a free flu or COVID-19 vaccine, please book
your appointment. Private vaccinations are also available. Find out
more about vaccinations here
[[link removed]].

 

LABOUR GOVERNMENT'S £150 HELP WITH ENERGY BILLS

From this week, eligible families across Wales will begin receiving
letters confirming they’ll get £150 off their energy bills this
winter through the Warm Home Discount.

This year, the UK Labour Government has expanded the Warm Home
Discount to reach six million households, including 900,000 more
families with children and 1.8 million households in fuel poverty.

We are easing the pressure on households today, as well as laying the
foundations for lower bills and cleaner energy in the years ahead.

Read more about the scheme here
[[link removed]].

 

SHOW RACISM THE RED CARD

As always, I was proud to join my constituency team to support Show
Racism the Red Card’s “Wear Red Day” again this year.

 

Thank you to the entire team at Show Racism the Red Card for their
tireless work to educate children and young people about what racism
is and what it does. Thanks also to everyone who took part in Wear Red
Day this year.

 

Learn more about the work of Show Racism the Red Card here
[[link removed]].

 

DIWALI CELEBRATIONS

I joined many constituents at the Diwali celebration at the Hindu
Community Centre last weekend. It was a vibrant and joyous celebration
of music, dance, colour and community.

It was lovely to catch up with constituents and some of my Labour
colleagues from across Cardiff and to see so many families enjoying
the festivities. Thank you to the organisers for a fantastic event and
for inviting me to be part of it.

 

A DECADE OF BAD WOLF PRODUCTIONS

Ten years ago, two visionary women, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner,
came together to establish Bad Wolf Productions. Backed by the Welsh
Labour Government and Creative Wales, their work has brought over
£880 million in economic benefit and 11,000 jobs to the UK.

From Doctor Who to His Dark Materials, the impact of their productions
on Wales’s creative sector has been incredible.

I joined the Bad Wolf team and many guests at their studios to speak
at their tenth anniversary celebration. I look forward to seeing what
the next ten years bring.

 

NEWS FROM ACROSS WALES

 

CLEAN ENERGY JOBS BOOM

Wales’s growing clean energy industry is delivering the well-paid,
highly-skilled jobs as we aim to have clean electricity by 2030.

Backed by record UK Labour Government and private sector investment,
15,000 extra jobs are expected to be created in Wales alone by 2030.

To support that jobs growth, a new Technical Excellence College in
Pembrokeshire will provide the training young people need to take up
these highly-skilled, well-paid jobs.

This is the biggest investment in clean energy in generations,
delivered by our UK Labour Government.

Read more here
[[link removed]].

 

OVER £500M LOCAL GROWTH FUNDS FOR WALES

Communities across Wales are set to benefit from a transformative new
Local Growth Fund worth over half a billion pounds.

The UK Labour Government has worked closely with the Welsh Labour
Government and Local Councils to ensure that decisions about how the
money will be spent will be made in Wales and those decisions will
create good jobs, boost productivity and local economies in every
corner of Wales.

Read more about the Local Growth Fund here
[[link removed]]
and watch my recent video here [[link removed]].

 

WALES'S DEFENCE MANUFACTURING SECTOR TO EXPAND

Communities across Wales are benefiting from over £1.1 billion in
defence investment by the UK Labour Government.

From drone manufacturing to armoured vehicles, Wales is fast becoming
a hub for defence innovation and cutting-edge technology.

This investment will sustain and grow the thousands of jobs in defence
manufacturing in Wales and support the security of the UK.

Read more about Wales’s defence sector here
[[link removed]].

 

INDIAN INVESTMENT CREATING JOBS

Wales is set to benefit from nearly 200 new jobs thanks to major
investments secured during the Prime Minister’s trade mission to
India.

 

Companies like NeoCeltic Global, Wockhardt and EdSupreme have
committed to invest in cutting-edge healthcare, AI and manufacturing,
creating high-quality jobs in Cardiff, Wrexham and beyond.

 

This landmark UK-India trade deal is opening doors for Welsh
businesses, boosting exports, and delivering on our mission to grow
the economy and support working people.

 

Read more about the trade deal here
[[link removed]].

 

SIX NATIONS FREE TO AIR

The Six Nations is part of our DNA.

It’s great news that a deal has been done which ensures free to air
live coverage of Wales games in the Six Nations on S4C for years to
come.

 

SUPPORTING PEOPLE INTO WORK

Hundreds of people across Wales will be helped back into employment
with the help of the Trailblazer programme, which has been backed by a
£10m investment from the UK Labour Government.

 

Recently, I visited the new Trailblazer Hub in Neath to see how the
new funding will benefit people in the area. Watch the video from my
visit here
[[link removed]].

 

TWO LABOUR GOVERNMENTS INVESTING IN OUR RAILWAYS

Our UK Labour Government is investing £445 million in Wales’s rail
network, which will mean new stations, more trains, faster journeys,
and better connections for communities across South and North Wales.

 

This month, I told more than 100 industry experts at the Rail Industry
Association Summit in Cardiff that improving rail links is central to
my priorities as Welsh Secretary and MP for Cardiff East.  

 

Whether it’s getting to work, accessing education, or connecting
businesses, this investment will make a real and visible difference to
people’s lives.

 

NEWS FROM PARLIAMENT

 

WELSH QUESTIONS

While Reform wants to divide our communities, Plaid wants to rip us
out of the United Kingdom. At this month’s Welsh Questions, I
explained why both would be disastrous for Wales.

 

Watch my contributions in Parliament here
[[link removed]].

 

£6 MILLION REPAID TO EMPLOYEES

It was a UK Labour Government that introduced the National Minimum
Wage in 1998. That landmark change transformed employment and
continues to benefit working people today, with over 160,000 workers
in Wales receiving a record pay rise in our first year of government.

 

But some employers still break the law, and we are determined to stop
this. The UK Labour Government has fined nearly 500 employers over
£10 million for underpaying staff and returned more than £6 million
to workers.

 

This action comes as Labour’s Employment Rights Bill is completing
its final stages in Parliament. This new law will mean the biggest
upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation.

Read more about the UK Labour Government’s crackdown on rogue
employers here
[[link removed]].

 

ACTION ON THE COST-OF-LIVING

The cost-of-living crisis is not over. The UK Labour Government has
stabilised the economy, but what matters most is that people feel that
difference.

 

That’s why we’re focused on one thing: putting more money into
people’s pockets. We’ve already taken action to ease the pressure
on families:

* 3.5 MILLION WORKERS have received a pay rise worth £1,400 this
year thanks to our boost to the National Minimum and Living Wage.
* 12 MILLION PENSIONERS have seen their incomes rise by up to £470,
protected by our commitment to the TRIPLE LOCK, worth £1,900 more
over the course of this Parliament.
* WAGES ARE NOW RISING FASTER THAN PRICES, meaning the average
worker is £1,000 BETTER OFF than they were a year ago.
* MORTGAGE COSTS ARE FALLING, with interest rates cut five times
since Labour took office.

I recognise things are still tough. Labour is focused on action that
helps people feel more secure, more supported, and more hopeful about
the future. This is just the start.

 

CONNECT TO WORK

Too many people with health conditions or disabilities have been
written off by a broken welfare system that was introduced by the Tory
and Lib Dem coalition government. The system traps people, fails to
support them and the UK labour Government wants to change that.

We’ve invested an extra £167 million in Connect to Work, providing
tailored, one-to-one support to help people into secure, fulfilling
jobs. This is part of a £1 billion plan, including in Wales, to
support 300,000 people back into work over the next five years.

Support includes placing specialist employment advisers directly in GP
surgeries and mental health services, treating work as part of care
and helping people move forward with dignity.

 

These important changes will ensure that people can fulfil their
potential, and we can tackle poverty.

Read more about this scheme here
[[link removed]].

 

ENDING LATE PAYMENTS

Local businesses are the lifeblood of our communities in Cardiff East.
However, lots of businesses go under every year across the UK because
customers, often far larger businesses, do not pay their invoices for
goods or services promptly.

 

That’s why we are bringing forward new laws to ensure fast payment
of invoices with penalties for persistent late payers, to help
businesses survive and thrive.

 

CUTTING COSTS AND STRESS FOR FIRST-TIME BUYERS

Labour is reforming the homebuying process to make it faster, fairer,
and more affordable.

 

These changes will save first-time buyers an average of £710 and cut
up to four weeks from the homebuying process. Sellers and estate
agents will also be required to provide key details upfront, including
property condition, leasehold costs, and chain information, helping
buyers avoid unexpected delays and last-minute surprises.

 

This will help remove barriers to home ownership giving people more
chance of getting on the housing ladder.

 

[Labour Rose]
 

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