John,
In a time of political upheaval, I want to tell you why I am backing Rishi Sunak for the next PM...
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Welcome to my latest newsletter.
It’s hard to believe what a huge political upheaval is underway. Less than three weeks ago I was happily beavering away as Welsh Secretary, as well as doing my duty as an occasional media spokesperson for the wider Government and of course No 10. Now I am back where I started, working from the backbenchers and campaigning for a new leader and Prime Minister.
So where did it all go wrong? In short, we ran out of road. We can argue “policy differences” until the cows come home, but issues of trust and competence run deeper. Despite Boris Johnson’s extraordinary celebrity status, powers of rehabilitation and refreshingly anarchic attitude to politics even he couldn’t pull this one off. Like all good leaders, knowing when your time is up is an essential aspect of your skill set.
So now we MPs have raced through the process if whittling down the leadership hopefuls from 11 to 2, and there were some good ones among them. Plenty of names that will soon feature regularly in our everyday dialogue and who will be ‘big beasts’ in their time. For me though, choosing the right PM is like choosing the right captain to lead any international team – in other words we need to assess the circumstances we are in and choose accordingly. This process is so much more than choosing a party leader too. It’s about who leads our country in a time of intense economic pressure and global instability. It’s also about who is most suited to perform best in every corner of the UK and against all shades of political opposition in an election which is just two years away at the most.
For these reasons I have always endorsed the former Chancellor Rishi Sunak. It wasn’t that many months ago he was saving countless jobs in Wales via the furlough scheme, business loans and of course through ‘Eat Out to Help Out’. He proved that you could get the Treasury to move flexibly and swiftly and that it is possible to balance the need for controlling inflation at the same time as spending huge sums on creating jobs across the country.
He is also a kind person - a much needed attribute in today’s brutal political arena. In short we share common values. I know Rishi has the resilience and experience to have immediate impact – no apprenticeship is needed, which is just as well given the challenges we all face. He is deeply conscious of the need to restore some optimism and unity.
Whether you are a Conservative member or agnostic about politics, or quite possibly a supporter of another party, I expect we all share a desire to work in unity in our endeavours to navigate the cost of living challenges that confront us.
I have no doubt that Rishi Sunak is best placed to succeed in those ambitions.
At Home...
A visit to S4C HQ in Carmarthen
I popped along to the S4C HQ in Carmarthen at the end of June. The UK Government has increased their funding by £7.5million and we're changing the law to help build their digital visibility worldwide.
Perhaps surprisingly, S4C can't broadcast across the world like everybody else. Changing the law will now make that possible so S4C can reach anywhere in the world, not just Wales. The cultural contribution to the language and to a whole lot of other things is beyond calculation.
JobCentre Plus visit
I never get bored of going out into my constituency and hearing from the people working hard behind office doors and trying to make Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire a better place to live and work.
Catching up with Adrian Davies at the JobCentre Plus office in Pembroke Dock, we talked about how employment numbers across Pembrokeshire are generally good. Even so, I see lots of pubs, cafes and restaurants across the county advertising for staff and it seems the hospitality industry is struggling to recruit. Lots of our hospitality and tourist based businesses are crying out for staff. It's not just seasonal roles either- those industries can offer rewarding and long-term career opportunities. JobCentre Plus is working to get people into those roles.
I also heard from Bella Chandley who works for Focus Futures. Her aim is to train people up as well as deliver skills and confidence sessions through the UK Government initiative "Business in Focus" . Keep an eye out for sessions targeting specific skills in the future.
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Long Course Weekend
It was great to see the return of Long Course Weekend in July after a three year break because of the pandemic. I was in charge of refilling water at the Templeton feed station, which was as busy as ever. It's a wonderful event for the county and even the weather decided to shine on the athletes.
Welsh wine week
I celebrated Welsh wine week at the Velfrey Vineyard, on the outskirts of Whitland. Owners Andrew and Fiona Mounsey have developed a delicious white wine called Solaris, which is apparently going down a storm at wine fairs this summer.
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New Honorary Colonel role
I've always been proud of my military history so it was with much pride that I announced I've been appointed the Regimental Honorary Colonel of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry.
I served in the Royal Wessex Yeomanry - the nation’s armoured reserve and the only reserve armoured regiment in the British Army - in the 1980s. Both my uncle and my grandfather served in the same regiment before me.
It is because of this previous service as well as the support I've offered to the military during my political career so far that I was asked to take on the role, which I take as a great honour.
Reservists play a vital role in our nation’s defence, public recognition of which has increased over recent months with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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A right Royal visit
I have to say, meeting HRH The Prince of Wales in Narberth in July was refreshingly upbeat after what had been a testing few days in the cauldron of Westminster. On the day Boris Johnson officially announced he was standing down as PM, I had the honour of meeting Prince Charles alongside my MS colleague Sam Kurtz.
Everyone was out in force to give a right royal welcome and it was great to see so many schoolchildren singing and waving Welsh flags as the Prince walked up the high street.
Finally...
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As always, do get in touch if there is anything I can help with - my office is ready to assist in any way we can.
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With my very best wishes,
P.S. If you would like more regular updates, click the button for my Facebook page:
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