NEWS FROM CARDIFF EAST

CARDIFF PARKWAY

Cardiff Parkway will transform Cardiff East, attracting almost 6,000
new jobs and transforming public travel options for residents of
Trowbridge and St Mellons.

As Secretary of State for Wales, I secured a £14bn funding commitment
to deliver new rail projects throughout Wales and I was proud that
Cardiff Parkway was front and centre as the only station with planning
permission.

Construction could begin quickly but serious doubts have been raised
about the minority Plaid Government’s commitment to the project. I
raised this in Parliament with the new Secretary of State for Wales,
asking him to ensure they honour this commitment.

Watch my question and the answer in full here
[[link removed]].

CAPITAL CITY FUNDING FOR SOUTH WALES POLICE

Cardiff Capital Region covers Cardiff and its nine surrounding local
authorities. The Councils work together to drive investment, jobs and
growth into the region. CCR has secured a landmark strategic
partnership with the UK Labour Government’s National Wealth Fund
which has over £17 billion of capital to boost investment and growth
across the country.

This collaboration will unlock expert advice and capital funding to
speed up infrastructure projects, attract private investment, and
create high-quality jobs across Cardiff East.

 

Read more here [[link removed]].

WARMER HOMES FOR ADAMSDOWN

Applications are now open for the Tai Clyd Caerdydd pilot scheme in
Adamsdown, which has been designed to make local homes warmer,
healthier, and cheaper to run.

Our local Adamsdown Labour Councillors, Grace Ferguson-Thorne and Owen
Jones have worked hard to secure this pilot for our area, bringing
practical support for residents to upgrade their homes and manage
energy costs. The scheme includes:

* Free whole-house assessments and independent advice on potential
improvements.
* Access to Welsh Government-vetted installers.
* Help identifying funding options, including fully-funded
improvements for eligible households experiencing fuel poverty.
* Support for homeowners and landlords across all private housing
tenures.

Applications for the pilot are open now. Find out more here
[/C:\Users\STEVENSJB\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\INetCache\Content.Outlook\G34MW1HW\cardiff.gov.uk\taiclydcaerdyddscheme].

CLIFTON STREET WASTE WALK

It was great to join the Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene &
Environmental Services, Ed Stubbs on Clifton Street to discuss issues
residents have raised about waste and enforcement issues on the street
and surrounding areas and see them first hand

 

I am pleased that as a result of our meeting, Cardiff Council has
agreed to review the number of bins, address the presentation of
commercial waste, step up enforcement and power wash unclean areas.

TROWBRIDGE ESTATE CLEAN UP

I know from my many conversations on doorsteps across Cardiff East,
that residents are concerned by the increase in fly-tipping and
general waste issues in our local communities.

I am pleased that after representations from our local councillors
Bernie Bowen-Thomson and Michael Michael that the Local Action Team
(LAT), in partnership with Waste Management’s Blitz Team have
carried out a targeted estate clean-up which began in the first week
of September.

Teams have been out in Cath Cob Close and Mallard Close to:

* Remove fly-tipping
* Undertake comprehensive litter picking
* Cut back overgrowth
* Deep clean highways, kerb lines, and public spaces
* Help residents who are struggling with front garden waste

I will continue working with local Labour Councillors across Cardiff
East to keep our communities tidy. If you would like to raise any
issues, please contact me using the details below:

[email protected]
029 2132 9736

NEW WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES

Young people across Cardiff East will be given new work experience
opportunities thanks to a major initiative between the UK Labour
Government and leading retailers.

A new scheme will see 18-24-year-olds, who are looking for work,
offered placements with Tesco, John Lewis, Waitrose and Currys.

These new opportunities will give young people in Cardiff East the
skills, confidence and connections they need to take their first step
into work.

Read more here
[[link removed]]. 

LAMBY WAY TRAVEL DISRUPTION

Temporary traffic signals and lane closures are now in place on Lamby
Way between Southern Way and Lamby Way roundabouts. Works will
continue until late February 2027.

 

Travel disruption is expected, so please use alternative routes where
possible.

The River Rhymney faces increasing threats from coastal flooding and
erosion that put properties at risk. These essential works are
absolutely necessary to provide long-term protection for 1,116 homes
and 72 businesses for the next 100 years.

 

Read more here
[[link removed]].

EASTERN LEISURE CENTRE VISIT

It was great to visit Eastern Leisure Centre in Llanrumney to mark
National Fitness Day.

There are so many activities available there, from gym workouts and
aqua aerobics to NHS services to help fitness and wellbeing. There’s
also a brand new soft-play area coming next month, so there are
facilities for all ages. 

 

We’re so lucky to have this top-class facility right on our
doorstep, as well as many others. As a Cardiff resident there are also
discounts on activities. Pop in and see how you can get active today.

UEFA WOMEN'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2027

Women's football is going from strength to strength in Wales, with
some great role models like Llanrumney's Jess Fishlock.

 

The news that the UEFA Women's Champions League 2029 final is coming
to Cardiff is great news for women’s football, here in Cardiff East
and across the country.

150 YEARS OF CARDIFF RUGBY

Rugby has been played at the Cardiff Arms Park since the 1880s, long
before many of the wards I represent were even built.

As Cardiff Rugby kick off their 150th anniversary season, it’s
fantastic to see the club’s heritage take centre stage. From the
North Stand being renamed after Sir Gareth Edwards to the launch of a
heritage kit inspired by the very first jersey, the club’s history
is being brought alive. If you caught the game against Exeter Chiefs
on the 19th September, you probably spotted the retro matchday
programmes too.

This celebratory season will be brilliant. I’ll see you there!

MENINGITIS B VACCINATIONS FOR STUDENTS

Students starting university in Cardiff are being offered a vaccine to
protect them against Meningitis B - following an outbreak in Kent
earlier this year.

Clinics have been set up at Cardiff University, the University of
South Wales and Cardiff Met.
I’d encourage all students to take advantage of the vaccination
programme. Keep yourself and your friends protected.

Read more here
[[link removed]].

NEWS FROM PARLIAMENT

SANCTIONS ON WEST BANK SETTLEMENTS

Alongside the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, increased settler terrorism
is driving Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank.

The Labour Government has rightly said we must do more to tackle these
issues and we are taking a number of additional steps to do so.

This month, we have taken steps to ban trade in goods from illegal
settlements.

We’re also taking action on services that facilitate or support
illegal settlements and extending our sanctions regime so we have
powers to go after those who break international humanitarian law.

The two-state solution is based on an explicit premise that the only
route to security and safety for both Palestine and Israel is for the
people of both nations to live side by side in peaceful co-existence
with freedom, security and self-determination.

The UK Labour Government taking this action to keep the hope of a
two-state solution alive.
Read more in my recent blog
[[link removed]].

SPECIALIST COURTROOMS
TO PRIORITISE RAPE CASES

Backed by a multi-million cash injection, every Crown Court in England
and Wales will get at least one courtroom especially set up to hear
rape and serious sexual offence cases over the next two years, to
speed up cases and put victims at the heart of the criminal justice
system.

 

These Crown Court trials will be given a fixed date as opposed to
being placed on floating court lists where they can be moved at short
notice and delayed by many months.

 

These important changes will mean victims get better support and face
fewer delays, as the Labour Government continues to take decisive
action to tackle violence against women and girls and deliver the
justice that victims deserve.

NEW POLL SHOWS SUPPORT
FOR EU MEMBERSHIPS

Cardiff East constituents know that I didn’t want the UK to leave
the EU and I didn’t support Boris Johnson’s bad Brexit deal. The
past decade has therefore been focussed on maintaining a close
relationship between the UK and the EU. This is important for our
economy, security and our future.

Brexit has created trade barriers, and barriers to economic growth
that has impacted UK businesses and working people.

Last year, our UK Labour Government secured a new trade deal with the
EU, which is expected to be worth up to £9 billion to our economy by
2040 and we’re working with the EU to create a youth experience
scheme which will create new opportunities for young people here and
the EU to live, work, study and travel.

But we need to go further. New constituency-level polling of almost
12,000 voters found that all but 4 constituencies in Britain would
support future membership of the EU. It’s important that we
recognise this significant shift in public opinion since 2016 and seek
to deliver the closest possible relationship that people across the UK
are calling for.

Read more here
[[link removed]]. 

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

From April 2027, all employees who have lost a spouse or partner,
parent, adult child or sibling, will have the right to take two weeks
of bereavement leave. Women and their partners who experience a
pregnancy loss before 24 weeks will also be entitled to two weeks of
bereavement leave.

Whilst many employees have understanding employers, who give them the
time and space that they need, these measures extend protections and
place them into law.

This fundamental change delivered by our UK Labour Government will
give millions of working people the space and security that they need
to grieve the loss of an immediate family member and a pregnancy loss.
I am proud that our Labour Government has introduced this
compassionate new law.

VET PRESCRIPTION FEES

Millions of pet owners will benefit from a major overhaul of the
veterinary sector under new reforms introduced by the UK Labour
Government.

The new rules will make the system clearer, fairer and more
transparent for owners. As part of the changes:

* Written prescription fees from vets will be capped at £21.
* Vet practices must publish a "comprehensive" price list for
standard services, including consultations, common procedures, and
cremation options.
* A written estimate must be provided in advance for any treatment
expected to cost £500 or more, including aftercare costs, plus an
itemised bill. Emergencies are the only exception to this.
* Vet businesses must make clear whether they are part of a group or
an independent business
* Information will be made available through the Royal College of
Veterinary Surgeons' "Find a Vet" service, which will share the data
with third-party comparison sites.

These reforms help households understand what they are paying for,
avoid unexpected costs and choose the best value care for their pets.
Read more here.

SUPPORTING RAIL PASSENGERS

From this weekend, thanks to the Labour Government, if your train is
cancelled, you can get on another operator's service to carry on your
journey without paying again.

 

This covers Great Western Railway and CrossCountry trains services
from Cardiff Central.

This is a common-sense change in the interests of passengers that will
also help with the cost of living.

STRONGER TOGETHER

I believe that Wales benefits from being part of the UK and the UK
benefits from Wales being part of it. We are at our best when we focus
on our shared history, values and future, rather than division and
separatism.

During the Senedd election campaign, voters were told by Plaid that
independence was off the table. Less than 4 months into the minority
Plaid Government and that mask has slipped, with separatist leaders
descending on Cardiff Bay to sign an agreement to work together to rip
our country apart.

Whilst Plaid focus time, energy and taxpayers’ money on
constitutional debates and pursuing their determination for
independence, our UK Labour Government is addressing the issues that
matter most to families, including easing pressures on household
finances and delivering greater economic and national security.

Plaid promised action on NHS waiting lists which had been falling for
nine months up to the election in May, but they’ve gone up every
month since Plaid have been in power.
And despite what Plaid said ahead of the election, we still haven’t
been told when waiting times will actually come down.

Families in Wales were promised a new childcare package, but
everything has gone very quiet. Families still don’t know when they
will receive any or all of the package promised in the election.

And children with additional learning needs are being deprived of the
support they need, even though the minority Plaid government has
received millions of pounds of additional funding because extra ALN
funding is being spent on children in England.

NEW TASKFORCE TO TACKLE MISOGYNY

Whether it’s online, in the workplace, school or on the street, too
many girls and women still experience harassment and abuse by men.

These poisonous attitudes have blighted women and girls’ lives for
too long. The internet has made it even worse. 

That’s why the UK Labour Government is launching a new taskforce
aimed at reducing harmful attitudes and shifting social culture, as
well as looking at what is working nationally and internationally to
successfully address this issue. 

The first meeting of the new taskforce will focus on young people,
with it later looking at workplaces, digital spaces and social
cohesion. 

Read more here
[[link removed]].

NEW UNIT TO TACKLE WORKING CLASS INEQUALITY

This UK Labour Government is lifting more children than ever before
out of poverty but there’s still more to be done to break the link
between people’s background and the opportunities available to them.

The UK Labour Government’s new Class Unit will put working class
communities at the heart of government, with a key focus on improving
lives of low-income families, disadvantaged communities and rooting
out child poverty. 

Read more here
[[link removed]].

ASSISTED DYING

I fundamentally believe in the human right to choose a dignified
death. I have constituents and friends who desperately wanted one and
a constituent who I helped after they were arrested for escorting
someone who chose an assisted death at Dignitas.

It was deeply frustrating to watch as a handful of unelected members
of the House of Lords deliberately prevented the Assisted Dying Bill
from becoming law earlier this year after it was voted through by a
majority in the House of Commons. This was wrong, undemocratic and
sets a very dangerous precedent.

This month, an identical Bill was introduced to the House of Commons
which I again voted in support of. But we should never have had to
have this vote. Regrettably, we lost vote by a very small margin.

I will continue to support the right to choose a dignified death. I
will also press the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to follow through
on his pledge to build on the £125 million of additional funding
announced by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer for end-of-life care
and hospices. 

And I will steadfastly uphold the principle that the democratic will
of the publicly elected House of Commons must prevail over the
unelected members of the House of Lords.

NEWS FROM UK LABOUR CONFERENCE

A NEW PATH FOR BRITAIN

The Prime Minister has set out a new direction for the country,
breaking with ‘politics as
usual’ and drawing a line on a decade of division.

 

Issues that have been ignored by politicians for too long will be top
of this UK Labour Government's agenda, this will include tackling
social care and youth unemployment.

 

Britain has been on the wrong path for a long time. After
deindustrialisation, deregulation, privatisation, austerity and
Brexit, we have a county run for vested interests, with power held in
too few hands. This UK Labour Government is changing course and
putting Britain on a new path with greater public control of energy,
water and housing.

 

Short-term solutions to deep rooted problems simply will not work.
During his first speech as Prime Minister at the UK Labour Conference,
Andy Burnham set out the long-term fixes Britain needs so working
people can hope again.

 

Later this year, the Prime Minister will publish his Plan for Britain.
This will set out how, over 10 years, Labour will make this country
work for working people again. More control of the basics and more
power in the hands of people and places to set their own ambitions.
That is the change we will deliver.

A NEW AGE OF INDUSTRIALISATION

At UK Labour Conference, the Chancellor set out his vision for good
work and good jobs across the UK, with new skills and investment
packages to help young people into work and build Britain's future
workforce.

 

The Chancellor announced new investment in Britain, to bring back hope
and deliver growth in every postcode.

* INVESTING TO CREATE JOBS: Labour will use the National Wealth Fund
to create and support 130,000 jobs across the UK by the end of the
decade.
* BUSINESS INVESTING IN BRITAIN: Rolls-Royce will bring a landmark
£300 million investment into its manufacturing and engineering
facilities across the UK.
* LAUNCHING GB GRID: a new publicly owned body within Great British
Energy - Great British Grid (GB Grid) - to help improve competition,
speed up grid connections for businesses, support reindustrialisation,
promote growth and drive down bills. 

These new measures build on work Labour has done to restore stability
and growth to
the economy, paving the way for higher living standards as we unlock
the country’s
latent potential.

SAFER STREETS, STRONGER COMMUNITIES

A fairer Britain means building strong foundations of safety,
security, and trust. Across the country, Labour's practical actions
are already delivering clear, measurable progress in our
neighbourhoods. We're rebuilding community policing, tackling serious
crime, and ensuring that every community feels secure and supported.

*
CRIME IS FALLING: Murder is down by 9%, serious violence by 11%, and
knife robberies by 16%.

*
MORE POLICE ON THE BEAT: 3,800 new neighbourhood police officers are
on the streets tackling shop theft and anti-social behaviour.

*
SPECIALIST PROTECTION: Every police force in England and Wales now
features specialist-trained officers to investigate violence against
women and girls.

*
STRONGER NATIONAL SECURITY: A new National Police Service is targeting
cross-border organized crime, while the State Threats Act works to
counter extremism and foreign threats.

Alongside this, we are taking a balanced approach to managing our
borders, cracking down on human trafficking while creating capped,
safe routes through community, charity and university sponsorships, as
well as UN resettlement for vulnerable refugees.

 

These actions will make the country fairer, defeat the forces seeking
to divide our communities and bring Britain together.

STRONG ABROAD, SAFE AT HOME

The first duty of government is to keep our country safe. Our UK
Labour Government is under no illusion that Britain is facing a
multitude of threats, from from espionage and cyberattacks on critical
infrastructure to aggression by hostile states in our airspace and
territorial waters.

 

Defence spending has already increased by 13.5%, from 2.3% to 2.6% of
GDP but we know we need to go further. The Spending Review will set
the path to our NATO commitment of 3.5% of GDP by 2035. But we are
also clear that this funding shouldn't just take from the treasury, it
must deliver deliver economic growth and unashamedly back British
industry. That means buying British wherever our industry can
deliver.

 

As we strengthen and grow our industrial base, we take this huge
opportunity to create British jobs in every corner of the country and
drive growth in every postcode, supporting innovative British firms to
develop the best tech and export kit to our allies. 

GUARANTEEING JOBS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

WITH DISABILITIES

A disability or health condition should never mean a young person is
written off before they have had a fair chance to work.

 

The Jobs Guarantee is already changing lives and now we are putting
long-term sick and disabled people at the front of the queue from
April next year. For many young people, this will be the first chance
they’ve had of a real paid job.

 

From April 2027, eligible young people on health benefits can take up
a voluntary guaranteed job 13 weeks after their Work Capability
Assessment. The Government will fund wages for up to 25 hours a week
for six months, with tailored support alongside it. This expansion
forms part of the Government’s wider £2.5 billion investment to
support almost a million young people towards work.

 

Read more here
[[link removed]].

CLAMPING DOWN ON BOGUS SELF-EMPLOYMENT

Our UK Labour Government has just announced a new consultation to
clampdown on bogus self-employment, ensuring that workers in Cardiff
East are treated fairly at work.

 

The new consultation will consider a range of measures to ensure that
every worker gets the rights they are entitled to and level the
playing field for local businesses that are being undercut by those
not following the rules.

 

I will be sharing this important consultation with residents when it
is launched.

VICTIM TRANSFORMATION PROGRAMME

Our UK Labour Government is determined to tackle violence against
women and girls and put victims at the heart of our criminal justice
system.

 

The Attorney General has announced the national rollout of an enhanced
service for domestic abuse victims, as part of the of the CPS Victim
Transformation programme (VTP) rollout across England and Wales.

 

This enhanced service for domestic abuse victims will mean a dedicated
victim liaison officer for all victims of domestic abuse, providing a
consistent point of contact to answer their questions and better
support them from charge to trial.

 

The VTP means all victims will receive more frequent and
better-quality communication and will be able to choose their
preferred mode of communication whether that’s over the phone, by
email or by post.

UNION LEARNING FUND

The last UK Tory Government's decision to scrap the Union Learning
Fund (ULF) was politically motivated, short-sighted and wrong. The ULF
supported more than 50 unions in over 700 workplaces, enabling workers
to access a wide range of learning activity in innovative ways.
 

Most recently, thousands of workers across the UK have benefited from
crucial skills training throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

When funding was scrapped, the Welsh Labour Welsh Government stepped
up and committed to keeping the Fund in place here in Wales. As a
proud trade unionist, I am delighted that the Chancellor announced
£15 million a year to relaunch this vital programme in England,
ensuring that workers on both sides of the border receive the training
opportunities they need and deserve.
 
Read more here
[[link removed]].


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