March 23 Newsletter

Viva Port Talbot's Superhero Day

I had a wonderful morning in town for Viva Port Talbot's Superhero Day.

There was an amazing turnout and a real buzz in the town centre as young and old got to meet heroes and villains, and see the Batmobiles!
It’s great to see events like this bring the community together.

Thanks to all those involved in making this event happen, it was a tremendous success, well done everyone.

Visit to Rhino Doors

It was a pleasure to visit local business Rhino Doors last week to catch up with them on all the exciting changes they have made since my last visit.

Rhino Doors make doors which can resist blasts, ballistics, pressure, fire, floods and a range of other pressures. They have branched out in security, transport and other infrastructure and have exciting plans developing safety measure from hydrogen power!

They really are a world leading business, having carried out work recently for American rail networks, the Ministry of Defence, the Montreal Metro, London Crossrail and more. We are lucky to have such a fantastic business here in Aberavon.

Visit to Thrive Women's Aid

It was wonderful to visit Thrive Women's Aid to catch up with them about their exciting RAPID project, whereby they are working with South Wales Police to provide direct support to victims of domestic violence at the point of incident.

They will also be able to enhance officer's training on how to deal with domestic violence cases.

I was also pleased to hear that they have a Housing First program to purchase housing which they provide as affordable housing to victims of domestic violence.

Visit to Cwrt Clwydi Gwyn

Great to visit Cwrt Clwydi Gwyn in Skewen this month to hear from staff about their experience of working in the care sector.

I was impressed with how incredibly hard working the staff there are, and how engaged they keep the residents.

Welsh Labour Conference

I took part in a really good panel discussion in Llandudno at Welsh Labour Conference, about the future of the Welsh steel industry.

We sent a loud & clear message to the UK Tory Government: wake up, and act!

Doorknocking in Baglan

Great to get out knocking doors in Baglan recently and to hear feedback on a number of issues from local residents. 

Thanks to all those who took the time to speak with us and to everyone who came and knocked doors. 

Third Pension Credit Day

This month, we held our third Pension Credit Advice Day in Aberavon. Thanks to the experts from Age Connects NPT and Riverside Advice for supporting this event.

Over the three days, 183 households across Aberavon have received vital advice about Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and other support that they were entitled to. Many didn’t know they were eligible.

You can check your eligibility and apply below:
https://www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim

This Month In Parliament

Illegal Migration Bill

I gave Labour’s response to the Tories Illegal Migration Bill.

The Illegal Immigration Bill is a con and a sham.

Conservative Ministers have nowhere to return asylum seekers who arrive on small boats because they have failed to replace the agreement we had with the EU.

They need to stop chasing tabloid headlines and do the hard graft of Government.

You can watch me give Labour's response to the bill below:
www.stephenkinnock.co.uk/labours-response-to-the-tories-illegal-migration-bill/

Saint David's Day

It was lovely to be at the raising of the Welsh flag in Westminster to mark St David’s Day.

I also spoke in the Saint David’s Day Welsh Affairs debate.

You can view the full speech below:
www.stephenkinnock.co.uk/3329-2/

Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme

I am honoured to be part of the armed forces parliamentary scheme & earlier this month during recess, we went to the Falkland Islands. 

It was a real privilege to see the highly professional work that our army, navy and air force are doing.

Sue Ryder Empty Chair Exhibition

I was pleased to stop by the 'Empty Chair exhibition set up by Sue Ryder in Parliament on Wednesday. The exhibition is part of their grief campaign, which aims to equip people with knowledge and tools to meet grief with warmth and acceptance.

The empty chairs around the table acted as a visual interpretation of people's experiences being bereaved.

Over 650,000 people passed away in the UK in 2021, and it's estimated that for every death, 9 people are affected by bereavement. 

Sue Ryder's research has found that:
- 72% of people affected by bereavement skipped meals to avoid eating alone.
- 59% of grieving people said being invited somewhere for dinner helped with their grief.

Steel Tariffs

Scrapping tariffs on steel moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is welcome, but the Windsor Framework makes no mention of quotas.

This month, in the chamber I asked the PM about quotas, but he chose not to answer my question.

You can see my full exchange with the Prime Minister below:
www.stephenkinnock.co.uk/3326-2/

Celtic Freeport Speech

Wales was the cradle of the first industrial revolution and now we can be the cradle of the green industrial revolution.

The Celtic Freeport would be the launch pad for Floating Off-shore Wind, bringing £5.5bn local investment, 16,000 high-skill jobs, bring down household energy bills & support green steelmaking.

You can see my full speech supporting the Celtic Freeport below:
www.stephenkinnock.co.uk/celtic-freeport/

Media Highlights

BBC Question Time

I spoke on Question Time about a wide range of issues including the asylum backlog that the Tories have created and Labour's plan to deal with it, the cost of living, council tax rises, Labour's plan for insulation and green energy and more.

You can watch the full episode below:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001j78t/question-time-2023-16022023

The Mirror

Stephen Crabb and I contributed to a joint piece in The Mirror promoting the Celtic Freeport Bid.

There’s a huge opportunity for us to take advantage of the resources Mother Nature has given us, the skills and talent we have.

Let’s harness that and drive Wales forward, create those jobs, deliver for our communities and restore pride.

You can read the full piece below:
www.stephenkinnock.co.uk/celtic-freeport-bid-in-the-mirror/

BBC News
 

I spoke about Labour's plans to deal with the small boat channel crossings.

Labour would deal with the Tory-made small boats crisis by:

- Negotiating returns deal with the EU
- Cracking down on criminal gangs by boosting police and security forces
- Having well managed safe & legal routes
- Clearing the asylum backlog

Politics Live
 

I discussed how the Labour Party offered to put country before party and lend our support to Rishi Sunak to get a deal to protect the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland.

Sunak's own Government Minister seemed to be suggesting to me that Labour should not support the deal her own Prime Minister negotiated. 

The Tory party is a shambles.

Sky News
 

I spoke on Sky News about Shamima Begum, the SNP leadership race & Prime Minister's Questions.

LBC
 

I spoke on to LBC about how Tory migration plans won't work to stop the small boat crossings.

Contact Details

You can get in touch with us by calling the office on 01639 897660 or ending an email to [email protected]  
 
Check my website, Instagram or Facebook page for details of my next advice surgery.

All the best,
Stephen Kinnock
MP for Aberavon
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MP for Aberavon
Water Street Business Centre
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Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot SA12 6LF
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