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As 2025 draws to a close, I want to thank you for keeping in touch through reading my monthly newsletter and for taking an interest in the work I do on your behalf as your Member of Parliament for Cardiff East and as Secretary of State for Wales.
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2025 in Review |
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Tackling the cost of living, investing in our public services, creating jobs, delivering clean power and making our streets safer is what the UK Labour Government was elected to do. Here’s what we’ve done in 2025.
Inflation is down (now at its lowest rate since March), wages are up and interest rates have been cut 6 times since Labour came to power. That means the average worker will earn over £500 more each year. While the average saving on a new mortgage is around £1,000 a year.
Wages grew faster in the first 10 months of this Labour Government than they did in 10 years of the Tory Government.
Between the General Election and April 2026, Labour will have delivered a pay rise of £2300 a year for people working full-time on the national minimum wage and £4000 a year for those aged between 18 and 20.
Above inflation pay rises have been funded for nurses, doctors, teachers, police and other public sector workers. And our armed forces have had their biggest pay rise for over 20 years.
A new law on employment rights that we fought so hard to get past Tory, Lib Dem, Reform and the Greens who kept voting against them, means stronger protections against being unfairly sacked, stronger statutory sick pay, the right to parental leave and bereavement leave from the first day of employment and an end to unscrupulous fire and rehire and exploitative zero hours contracts.
The new law will boost productivity, increase people’s living standards and make work more secure. The changes are pro-worker and pro-business.
We’ve brought in the Renters’ Rights Act to make renting more secure by ending no fault evictions.
Pensioners have seen another rise in state pensions and restoration of the winter fuel allowance for every pensioner household whose income is £35,000 or less.
We’ve taken £150 off energy bills and expanded the warm homes discount for low-income households so that 6 million households will get more help with their bills.
There are 330,000 more people in work, we’ve done four new trade deals including with the EU, USA and India and attracted £320bn of investment into the UK. More jobs, more opportunities, making the UK a great place to invest.
We’ve launched our child poverty strategy so that every child gets the best start in life. Scrapping the two-child limit will benefit over 3000 children in Cardiff East and 550,000 across the UK. And we’re helping people back into work through targeted employment schemes in Wales backed by millions of pounds.
Two record breaking financial settlements for Wales, the largest ever in devolution history, have meant the Welsh Government has been able to invest more in our NHS, bringing down long waiting lists by 86%, in schools, local council services, transport, business support and high streets. The spending power of the Welsh Government has been boosted by nearly £6 billion and we’ve updated the Welsh Government funding framework, so it is more favourable for Wales and got the best deal of any nation in the UK for local growth funds to invest in communities right across Wales.
Half a billion pounds for rail infrastructure (including in Cardiff), over £100million to help steel communities, Great British Energy, railway companies being brought back into public ownership and one of the biggest ever public investments in Wales in our history, with the UK’s first fleet of new small modular nuclear reactors being built on Anglesey.
Violent crime is down. We have more neighbourhood police on our streets and we’re tackling the scourge of violence against women and girls. We’ve invested in the criminal justice system after the Tories left our prisons and courts in crisis, putting victims of crime at the heart of the system.
And finally, the Prime Minister has restored the UK’s international standing, rebuilding trust and relationships with our closest allies and more widely across the world. The deal we struck with the EU in May will be worth up to £9bn to the UK economy, boosting growth, protecting jobs, bringing down bills and securing our borders. We have rejoined Erasmus+ which is a huge win for young people so students and apprentices will be able to study, train and undertake work placements abroad and enabling school and youth visits and exchanges.
Lots done. More to do. Watch this space! |
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MEET YOU WELSH LABOUR CAERDYDD FFYNNON TAF SENEDD CANDIDATES |
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Welsh Labour has announced an excellent team of Senedd candidates for our constituency ready for the Senedd election on 7th May 2026.
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NEWS FROM CARDIFF EAST |
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CELEBRATING SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY |
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Small businesses are the backbone of our area, driving the local economy and employing significant numbers of residents. When we support local businesses, we’re supporting our neighbours and helping create and sustain jobs locally.
I also asked residents to share their favourite local businesses, which I’ve included in my Small Business Dashboard. Take a look and please do shop local this Christmas. |
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LLANRUMNEY HOSTS LAUNCH OF WALES'S COMMUNITY FOOTBALL STRATEGY |
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The Football Association of Wales through its Cymru Football Foundation launched its new ‘Closer to the Game’ strategy right here in Cardiff East at Llanrumney United Football Club.
The strategy has a really bold ambition to make sure that every community in Wales has access to a quality football pitch within 15 minutes travel. This will mean better facilities for grassroots clubs, more opportunities for children and young people to play, and stronger support for the volunteers who keep football clubs going locally. By investing in local clubs, the Foundation wants football to continue to be a driving force for community health and wellbeing.
It was fantastic to be involved in the launch at Llanrumney United alongside Wales manager Craig Bellamy. Huge thanks to club secretary Sarah Mace who gave a wonderful speech and thanks to every volunteer across Cardiff East who keep our clubs going. |
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149 YEARS OF CARDIFF RUGBY |
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Cardiff Rugby is celebrating its 149th birthday after a year of real uncertainty. The anniversary is focusing on the remarkable heritage of our club.
I will keep working with the club, the Supporters’ Trust, players, fans and stakeholders to ensure Cardiff Rugby thrives for generations to come. |
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CARDIFF CENTRAL STATION IMPROVEMENTS |
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£140 million is being invested in Cardiff Central Station by the UK Labour Government, the Welsh Labour Government and Cardiff Capital Region to make significant improvements for passengers. The investment has now been approved, marking a major step forward for our city in its 70th year as the capital city and the 200th anniversary of our railways.
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WINTER READING CHALLENGE |
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The Winter Reading Challenge is back. This is a brilliant opportunity to read with children and ensure that they keep up with all they have learnt in school over the previous term.
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CHRISTMAS WASTE COLLECTIONS |
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Over the Christmas period, your recycling & waste collection could be later than usual. See below for the changes in collection dates.
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WINTER RAIL DISRUPTION |
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Great Western Railway’s winter timetable is now in effect, and passengers are being asked to plan ahead and book early for the busy Christmas period.
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CHRISTMAS OFFICE CLOSURE |
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My office is now closed for Christmas and will reopen on Monday 5th January.
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NEWS FROM ACROSS WALES |
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RECORD INVESTMENT FOR WALES |
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Wales is attracting record investment. Since the launch of the Wales Investment Summit, more than £16 billion of new projects have been announced, creating thousands of jobs and opportunities for every corner of the country.
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THE UK LABOUR GOVERNMENT'S FIGHT AGAINST CHILD POVERTY |
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The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are crucial. For children growing up in poverty, the impact can last a lifetime. It makes it harder to learn at school, impacts on health, reduces prospects of good employment or even any employment, opportunity and life chances.
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A LABOUR BUDGET FOR WALES |
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The Welsh Labour Government has confirmed a Budget Agreement that secures the passage of the 2026-27 Budget through the Senedd in the new year. This is a budget built on Welsh Labour values: protecting frontline services, supporting jobs, and investing in our communities. The extra money is a result of the UK Labour Government providing Wales with the biggest budget settlement in devolution history.
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