Dear Friend, 

I hope you and your families are staying safe and well during these challenging times. 

Last week, with the historic inauguration of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the world was able to turn the page on darkness and division and face the future together.

Keir Starmer rightly said the inauguration is a "victory for hope over hate and a real moment for optimism in the United States" as we saw the first ever female Vice President take office. I have no doubt that this optimism and source of hope will reverberate across the world as Biden’s empathic leadership restores balance on the global stage once more.

The impact of Biden-Harris leadership on the UK and here in Wales cannot be underestimated. The impact on our shared efforts to tackle Covid-19 across the world and the deeper, graver climate emergency. A progressive global leader who embraces internationalism and equality and doesn’t shy away from standing up for his values, rather than one who stokes hatred, division and seeks to trample on the values we hold dear acts as a beacon of hope for us all.

And in these chaotic and unprecedented times, our anchor is our values.

Trump may have left the Whitehouse, but Trumpism remains. Together we can work to rid the forces of division and hatred from our politics, our society and wherever we may find it. 

As ever, my team and I are here for you. If you're struggling please remember to reach out to friends or family and please do not hesitate get in touch with me if I can help on [email protected].

With very best wishes, 

• Shielding is extended for those extremely clinically vulnerable until March 31^st.
• We will continue to stay at home and work from home. 
• From tomorrow, two people from different households can exercise outdoors together. 
• Guidance will be published to help those who need to change their support bubble because circumstances have changed. 

The Environment Bill returned to Parliament this week for its Remaining Stages. It was a missed opportunity to bring forward the urgent step change needed here at home to help meet the scale of the climate crisis we face. 

When fires have raged, floods have battered our communities and wildlife is on a downward spiral, it's incumbent on UK Government to show ambition on our environmental standards. Instead, the Bill fell woefully short of the urgent and lasting action the UK must take to enable our future generations to lead healthy, more sustainable lives.

The Labour Party put forward a series of amendments to rectify the Bill’s shortcomings for e.g. to stop the government from lifting the ban on bee-killing pesticides and to bring air quality limits in line with the World Health Organisation. The Government sadly voted against these amendments and delayed the Bill for the third time until the Autumn, despite being in a climate emergency.

Labour will be the Party to expose the empty rhetoric and press for meaningful climate action that we’re all crying out for.

We know that the recent storms and heavy rain have been an unwelcome reminder of the flooding that some local residents went through last year and continues to be a worrying time.

Julie Morgan MS and I have been regularly meeting with NRW and representatives of flood-hit local residents since the flooding last year in Whitchurch to ensure appropriate measures are taken to prevent any future flooding. We met again last week with NRW and Transport for Wales who has now commissioned a study to evaluate the impact of silt-build up under the railway arches with a view to remove it as swiftly as possible if the study demonstrates there is a benefit. 

Julie and I will continue to work with NRW, TfW and local residents to ensure we achieve a positive outcome at this very distressing time. 

The climate crisis is wreaking havoc on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities wherever they are in the world. Whether droughts in Madagascar or floods in Merthyr Tydfil - it’s the climate crisis that binds us together, despite the distance between us.

The slew of UK dirty investment continues despite the announcement to end them. The Government is still openly considering funding fossil fuel projects in the oil and gas sector, meaning 17 fossil fuel projects currently under consideration could receive the green light and funding. 

Click the link to read my piece for Left Foot Forward.