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Thank you for reading my August newsletter – I hope you’ve had a good month and enjoyed the bank holiday weekend.
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Last week we had yet more dire news on energy bills – bills for an average household will rise to £3,549 a year on 1 October, when the new price cap is introduced.
This announcement is striking fear in the heart of many households and forcing people into making unthinkable choices ahead of this winter. Many are already having to make extremely tough decisions about buying necessities, including food. The Tories now face an urgent choice.
They can carry on letting oil and gas companies make huge profits whilst every household suffers with rising bills. Or they can act now and do what Labour has said should happen - stop the energy price cap rising and bring in a proper windfall tax on those oil and gas producer profits.
The cost-of-living crisis is now a national emergency.
People need and deserve action. But Boris Johnson put his out of office on months ago, and Truss and Sunak are too busy squabbling between themselves to consider the scale of the crisis that families are facing.
Labour has announced a fully-funded plan to freeze the price cap and we would make sure households don’t pay a penny more this winter, saving you £1,000.
Our plans for home grown renewable energy and to insulate 19 million homes will keep bills down for the long term too.
Last week I wrote for Wales Online about our plan to freeze energy bills. You can read my piece here:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/labour-wouldnt-put-your-energy-24820932?fbclid=IwAR0o9IEUUckFNoiL6vMwn7fmfm34Z4sMfmfzp10SqH3o45UjwVLGjkZYpHE
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Tory Leadership Election Chaos
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Boris Johnson’s zombie Conservative Government has totally checked out after crashing the economy.
The Bank of England has forecasted the joint longest recession in three decades, but the disgraced Prime Minister lingers on, doing nothing, propped up by Tory MPs fighting each other like rats in a sack and ignoring the crisis facing households, businesses and public services across the country.
Truss and Sunak have no plan, no ideas and no answers. Next Tuesday, we’ll find out which of them is the new Prime Minister. I hope, for the sake of people across Cardiff Central, that like the windfall tax, the new PM will u-turn and immediately implement our energy price freeze policy.
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Ending Unfairness of Prepayment Meters
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As well as the price cap freeze, we would eliminate the “premium” that means people with energy prepayment meters, who are often on low incomes, are charged more than those on direct debits.
Around 4 million domestic customers use prepayment meters, and their price cap is about 2% higher than for direct debit customers.
It’s outrageous that people on prepayment meters have to pay more for their energy. Why should those with the least have to pay more to heat their homes and put the lights on? This is unjustifiable and morally wrong and Labour will end it.
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You know that the Tory government’s failure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis means food, energy and petrol costs are soaring. We ‘ve had twelve years of Conservative (and Lib Dem) mismanagement and it’s left us with a weak economy and record falls in real pay.
Royal Mail staff are essential workers. Whether it was delivering test and trace kits or being a point of contact to those isolating, they worked through the pandemic. Royal Mail staff take real pride in the service they provide to us all and they want to ensure its long-term success.
Labour has urged Royal Mail management to return to the negotiating table to ensure a fair pay settlement and to secure the long-term health and future of Royal Mail. And because Royal Mail provides a vital public service, the Government should do its job and make sure that steps are taken to make this happen. Same with the BT Group where workers have taken strike action for the first time in 35 years and unless Grant Shapps does his job properly by allowing a fair settlement in the rail dispute instead of stoking it up, the travel disruption which no-one wants (except it seems, Grant Shapps) will continue.
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As Tory government inaction on the cost-of-living crisis continues, I want to make it as easy as possible for Cardiff Central constituents to access any help they may be entitled to, to ease the current burden.
On my website I have page containing all links to support for utilities, and any benefits or discounts you may be entitled to – and some links to support agencies who will be able to assist you if needed.
I’ll be continually updating this list as I receive more information – and you can access it here:
https://www.jostevens.co.uk/2022/08/08/cost-of-living-advice-hub/
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Families are feeling the strain on their household budgets due to the rising cost of living, making that extra bit of help more important than ever.
Many people are unaware they may be entitled to benefits that could offer them the support they need.
If you are unsure about what benefits you can claim, Advicelink Cymru can help you check and claim what’s yours.
Get in touch with one of our advisors today by calling their free helpline on 0808 250 5700 – or visit their website here.
https://gov.wales/claim-whats-yours?fbclid=IwAR3NbJxGr84e0QU0N9xV1GAzy7N8_OVWaIlODOswDBhuPecxQNLY_-wAgaI
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Applications for the Welsh Labour Government’s Pupil Development Grant are now open.
Children whose families are on lower incomes and qualify for certain benefits (linked to existing eligibility criteria for free school meals) can apply for the grant of £225 per learner, and £300 for those learners entering year 7, recognising the increased costs associated with starting secondary school. The additional £100 is for this year only.
All compulsory school years are now eligible.
Families who are on lower incomes and qualify for certain benefits can submit a claim if they have a child in:
•
primary school from reception to year 6
• secondary school from year 7 to year 11
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I recently had the pleasure to visit Triongl based in the Creative Quarter of the City Centre. Triongl are an independent TV production company producing drama programmes and has worked with S4C, BBC and Channel 4 to date on productions.
If you’re an avid TV watcher you’ll have most likely watched something they’ve worked on. Most recently they've produced a back to back drama (filmed in Welsh and English) broadcasting currently on S4C under the name "Y Golau" and will broadcast on Channel 4 later in the year in English as "The light in the hall".
Thank you for inviting me to visit you, and keep up the good work!
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I was very excited to try the new Transport for Wales Class 231 train simulator at their HQ. This simulator is used by new Transport for Wales recruits.
The simulator was pretty challenging to say the least! But it was a really good experience to get an insight into how complex a job driving a train full of people safely is.
Thank you Transport for Wales for giving me the opportunity to experience it first- hand and for the discussion on the progress with the South Wales Metro. The Metro will make a big difference to us in Cardiff Central.
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I recently met Georgia, Gemma, Randall and James from Enterprise, based off Colchester Avenue in Penylan.
Enterprise have rented their fleet of cars and vans from their Penylan site for many years, but asked me to come and find out more about how they’re diversifying their fleet to include more electric and hybrid cars.
More than 40% of the fleet is now electric or hybrid, helping to cut emissions and keep our city’s air clean.
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I recently had a wonderful visit to Adamsdown Primary School with Councillors Owen Llewellyn-Jones and Grace Ferguson-Thorne.
A very talented group of Year 6 pupils, the “Adamsdown Investigators” had been busy researching the history of their school, and have put together the most remarkable exhibition following completion of their research. Thank you to the team for showing us around and explaining how you put it together.
In mediaeval times, Adamsdown lay just outside the east walls of Cardiff. It is thought that the area may take its name from
Adam Kyngot, porter and gatekeeper of Cardiff Castle in 1331.
For hundreds of years, the land was farmed, and up until the early 1800's, there were only two buildings that dominated the majority of the area - Adamsdown Farm and Adamsdown House.
These days of course, Adamsdown is a vibrant community, with shopping centres like Broadway and Clifton Street. Former pupils and staff who have heard about the exhibition have been volunteering more information and exhibits to the school and I have a feeling this brilliant project will continue for some time yet.
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Can you help?
🩸 The Welsh Blood Service need more people from the Cardiff area to sign up as donors to help patients across Wales!
✨ Do something amazing today - book
to give blood 👉🏻 https://wbs.wales/Cardiff0722
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It was great to see Pride Cymru returning to the city centre after 3 long years away – complete with a mile long parade and festival.
Thank you to the dedicated team of volunteers for organising this year’s event and I hope everyone had a brilliant bank holiday pride weekend!
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It was brilliant last weekend to see Clifton Street brought to life for the Clifton Street Festival.
The festival featured circus and performance from No Fit State circus – as well as other music, performances, food and more. All in all, it was a lovely community celebration – thank you to everyone to organised it and took part.
Thank you to our Cardiff Central Labour
Councillors in Adamsdown, Cllr Owen Llewelyn-Jones and Cllr Grace Ferguson-Thorne for ensuring that the Brewery Park redevelopment was delivered by our Cardiff Labour Council. It's wonderful to see and I know from listening to Adamsdown families and other Adamsdown residents that it was exactly what they wanted.
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I have now confirmed my advice surgery dates to Christmas which take place across Cardiff Central.
These advice surgeries are an opportunity for any Cardiff Central residents to come and speak to me about a problem you may need some help with or a question or query you have.
You can see my full plan of surgery dates online using the link below – please call my office on 02921 329736 or email me at [email protected] to make an appointment.
Upcoming Advice Surgeries:
Friday 16th September – Roath
Friday 30th September – Adamsdown
Friday 14th October – Cyncoed
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