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:

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 and watch my recent video here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

£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.

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.

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.