Update on my work in Parliament and the constituency 

Update on my work in Parliament and the constituency

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Thank you for reading my August newsletter.

During August my team and I held fourteen advice surgeries, including 5 street surgeries and specialist immigration clinics. Details of my September advice surgeries are at the bottom of this email. You don't need an appointment for any of my surgeries, please just drop in.


** Macmillan Coffee Morning 2019! ☕️🍰
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I am pleased to once again be hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning at Waterloo Tea, Lakeside on Friday September 27th with Jenny Rathbone AM.

Waterloo Tea also hosted our coffee morning last year, and were incredibly generous by donating their profits for the duration of the coffee morning. This year we will be looking to beat last year’s fundraising effort.

The coffee morning will run from 10am to 11.15am with a selection of drinks and cakes for sale to help raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Care. I’ll be running my advice surgery there too so you are welcome to raise any issues with me.

This is the perfect chance to catch up over a cuppa and a slice of cake for a great cause. One in three of us will face cancer, and the money we raise will help make sure no one has to face it alone.


** 🚨 Crime and Community Policing Survey
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I'm asking constituents to complete my crime and community safety survey so you can tell me about your concerns, about any experience of crime and how you think we can improve things locally.

I'd be really grateful if you could take 5 minutes to complete my survey by visiting the link below. Of course, you can always raise any other issues with me as well - please just get in touch.


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🗣️ Access the survey by clicking her ([link removed]) e! ([link removed])
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** Brexit
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The beginning of August saw dire news that the UK economy had shrunk for the first time in 6 years - I was quoted in Politics Home saying Boris Johnson's reckless no-deal strategy was behind the contraction. ([link removed])

I have been working cross party during the Parliamentary recess to try to stop a no deal Brexit. I’m a party to the legal case being brought in Scotland (a substantive ruling will be made on the case next week). I signed the Church House Declaration, opposing the undemocratic shutdown of Parliament by the Prime Minister in order to force through a no-deal Brexit - and pledging to work cross party and across-nations to avoid this catastrophe altogether.

There is substantial work going on by our Labour team in Parliament, including with leaders and MPs from other parties, to prevent an unelected Prime Minister, with no mandate and no apparent ability to speak the truth, from leading the country into a self inflicted recession and all the disastrous consequences of a no deal Brexit. The next two weeks are absolutely critical and I will continue to do anything and everything possible to stop this damage to our community and country.

In response to the Prime Minister’s letter to MPs advising of the suspension of Parliament, I replied to him in a joint letter with my three fellow Cardiff Labour MPs to tell him that his move is deeply undemocratic, unconstitutional and nothing more than a squalid attempt to force through a no-deal Brexit that will devastate jobs and the economy of Cardiff, Wales and the rest of the UK.

Here is the full copy of our response to the PM:


** DCMS Committee
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Next week our DCMS Committee work resumes with an evidence session for our inquiry into reality tv, with witnesses from ITV's Love Island and the Jeremy Kyle show.
Visit to the new Brains Brewery

I enjoyed a really informative visit to the new Brains Brewery in Cardiff. In 2018 Brains moved from their iconic city centre Cardiff Brewery in Crawshay Street where it started brewing in 1713, to their new site at the Dragon Brewery off Ocean Way. Brains has built a brand new, modern brewery as well as furnishing the office areas with wonderful advertising memorabilia and iconic photographs of its hundreds of pubs.

To round off a fantastic visit, I met Paula (pictured) who leads a team of brewers. She is the only female brewer at Brains and is originally from Bogota, Colombia. We had a good chat about Welsh brewing and my visits to the Bogotá Beer Company last year!


** Visit to Green Man Festival Site
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I recently met Fiona Stewart in London, the driving force behind Green Man, and after a conversation about our shared interests in music, festivals, art and culture and why we want to promote what we do in Wales much more effectively, Fiona invited me up to Crickhowell to carry on our conversation.

Every year, Green Man hosts tens of thousands of people during the festival week. Fiona and her festival are trailblazers for environmentally sound, ethical and locally sourced produce and businesses.

I toured the site with Fiona and her dog, Walter, hearing about how they host a globally renowned independent and authentic festival in the age of big corporate music companies, promoters and ticket sellers. Fiona is the only women in the UK to have the controlling ownership of a large independent music festival.

From ensuring that Green Man directly employs its staff, that all food and drink providers meet the green standards (so Fairtrade, British Red Tractor and Marine Conservation Society kitemarks), powering the festival by solar and recycling tents this year with Help Refugees and Newport to Calais Aid Collective – the list goes on – this is a festival that is all about actually putting words and principles into action. It’s been doing this for nearly two decades, ahead of its time in many ways.
Visit to St Teilo's School's Summer 'Food and Fun' Scheme

I visited the SHEP Food and Fun project being run at St Teilo’s High School in Cardiff Central, providing healthy meals, food and nutrition education, physical activity and enrichment sessions to children during the summer holidays. During the school holidays, when free breakfasts in Primary Schools and Free School Meals are not available, some families struggle to afford or access food that provides a healthy diet. Along with meals, this scheme provides sport and wellbeing activities, from drama based sessions to sport sessions with the Welsh Rugby Union and Glamorgan Cricket.

A big well done to everyone involved in this project. I saw how much children were enjoying the activities - they were completely immersed – and if you’re a parent and you’re interested in your child attending future sessions please click here. ([link removed])
Keeping Cardiff Central Tidy

This month I’ve joined #KeepCardiffTidy litter pickers on some of their sessions across Cardiff Central. These sessions happen because of wonderful, committed volunteers and go a long way to helping keep our streets and parks clean. Litter picking equipment is being made available through the #LoveWhereYouLive campaign with Penylan library being the latest site where equipment can be borrowed.

To find out more about the #KeepCardiffTidy initiative, or to join a litter pick near you, please click here. ([link removed])
New Churches Together Shop in the Maelfa

I called in to see the new Churches Together in Wales shop at the redeveloped Maelfa in Llanedeyrn. It was thriving and I ended up doing an impromptu advice surgery there with my colleague Labour Councillor Frank Jacobsen. Frank and Frances Jacobsen showed me around, much of the shop’s fit out has been done by them and a team of volunteers.

There are exciting plans to develop the space further and I’ll be back soon to see how things are going. The Maelfa looks great and I’m pleased that following my meeting with local businesses and representations by Cllr Jacobsen and I about a spate of anti social behaviour there, CCTV has been installed and I saw PCSO patrols whilst I was visiting. It reinforces what Labour representatives for the area do.
Summer Street Surgeries Around Cardiff Central

Just because Parliament isn’t sitting during August, it doesn’t mean my work stops! As well as my normal weekly surgeries and specialist immigration clinics, I’ve been holding street surgeries around the constituency, to listen to residents and find out more about I've been out and about concerns and issues. I've picked up lots of casework and I and my team are busy working on resolving those issues and it's been very useful to speak to people about their Brexit concerns before I go back to Parliament next week.
'Give a Day to Policing' - On Patrol with South Wales Police

One of my priorities since being elected has been to campaign for more funding and specifically, additional capital city funding (like London receives) for our Police.

I’ve taken part in the ‘Give A Day To Policing’ campaign, a national campaign to get MPs to shadow local police to understand more about what they do and the challenges they face.

I’ve spent time at South Wales Police headquarters seeing the behind the scenes operations, the control room and meeting officers and civilian staff there, including air and water rescue teams. This month I went on a mid week night patrol in the city centre learning more about how our city centre is policed and the work to eradicate drug dealing, violence and other offences from our streets. I spoke to local officers and the chance to listen to their views about current policing and the severe challengers they face everyday was extremely useful for my campaign. I’ll be going back to do a Saturday night shift with the, soon.
School Uniform Grants Available

The Welsh Government are offering grants of £125 to buy school uniform, equipment, sports kit and kit for activities outside of school for your child.

If your child is eligible for free school meals you can apply for this grant for the 2019/20 school year, if they are:
* entering reception class or year 3 in primary school
* entering year 7 or year 10 in secondary school
* aged 4, 7, 11 or 14 in special schools, special needs resource bases or pupil referral units

For Year 7 learners the grant is £200, recognising the increased costs associated with starting secondary school.

Funding for looked-after children is available in every school year.

To apply for the grant please click here, where you’ll be taken to Cardiff Council’s website to download a form, to return to the Council ([link removed]) ([link removed]) i ([link removed]) n ([link removed]) ([link removed]) o ([link removed]) r
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Cardiff Jobs Fair - Friday 20th September
The Cardiff Jobs Fair is back at the City Hall on Friday 20th September 2019. From 10am – 1pm candidates can meet recruiting companies face-to-face to discuss any exciting job opportunities that are available.

For more information and to stay up to date visit @TheJobFairs or visit their Facebook page event ([link removed]) .

The Green Alliance’s report on climate policy and deliberative democracy has just been published and I was asked to write the foreword to the publication.


Recent protests worldwide have demonstrated the effect of people power and our desire for action on the current climate change emergency. Governments and big business have undermined citizens’ contributions to the current emergency. It is vital that citizens across all communities are consulted and made to be a part of the solution to the biggest challenge humanity will face.

You can read my foreword and the full report by clicking here. ([link removed])

The key messages from the report are:
• Governments and businesses need to offer stronger national leadership and a clear strategy
• People are willing to act and want more power, but they must be supported by leadership at national level
• Policy must be consistently implemented across all government departments and take into account the impacts on citizens, jobs and communities


** Upcoming Advice Surgeries
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I hold regular surgeries around the constituency. All surgeries are drop-in, no appointment is needed.

Every Wednesday, 11am - 12noon
Immigration Clinic at Constituency office, 116 Albany Road, CF24 3RU

Thursday 6th September 11am – 12 noon Adamsdown
St German’s Church, Adamsdown, Star Street, Adamsdown CF24 0JY

Friday 20th September 2pm - 3pm Llanedeyrn
Powerhouse Hub, Roundwood, Llanedeyrn CF23 9PN

Friday 27th September
Macmillan Coffee Morning 10am - 11.15am
Waterloo Tea, 17-19 Clearwater Way, Cardiff CF23 6DL

Friday 27th September 4pm - 6pm Roath
Constituency Office, 116 Albany Road, Roath, CF24 3RU

Full details of upcoming surgeries are listed on my website ([link removed]) .

My staff team are available in the Albany Road office every weekday from 9am-5pm (except Thursdays when the office closes at 12 noon). You can contact us any time using 02921 329736 or by emailing [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .


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