A Happy New Year to you all as we enter 2024, a year where we will have the opportunity to get Britain’s future back.
Whether it’s this May or later in the year, we will be having an election in the next 12 months.
As Keir Starmer said in his New Year’s speech, there is hope in the air, but we must not take anything for granted.
We are asking people to restore their faith in politics, something that’s been ground down by one self-serving, cynical and complacent Tory regime after another, and feel that change is possible.
The Tory party have nothing left to offer. They don’t want people to believe that there is a better way. They will attempt to sow the seeds of division and fear and discourage voters from taking part.
We can offer hope. Hope through our five national missions. Hope through our plans for safer streets, cheaper bills, an NHS back on its feet and more opportunities for young people.
In the run up to the election I will be campaigning hard to ensure that we get the message out across Blaenau Gwent, across the new constituency in Rhymney and across key battlegrounds like neighbouring Monmouthshire.
If you want to join lend a hand by joining the campaign team, please get in touch by emailing nicksmithlabour@gmail.com

Everyone Deserves a Christmas
It was great to be able to work alongside my friend and colleague Carolyn Harris MP to bring the “Everyone Deserves a Christmas” campaign to Blaenau Gwent this year.
Teaming up with the fantastic volunteers from Ebbw Vale Institute pantry we delivered 60 festive hampers containing all the ingredients for a Christmas dinner, treats and gifts to pantry customers who could do with a helping hand.
So many people would have had a difficult time this Christmas, with families still being hammered by the Conservative cost-of-living crisis. It is a disgrace that anyone would have been faced with choosing between the heating or eating.
I hope that our hampers would have made Christmas a little easier, alongside some of the other similar brilliant schemes being run by organisations across the borough, including the Rotary Club amongst others.

Tackling illegal off-roading
A few years ago I set up a Gwent regional roundtable group to bring together MPs, councillors, police, environmental groups, landowners and others to discuss the growing problem of illegal off-road biking.
During these meetings I heard many times how one of the main issues in tackling this blight is the difficultly in policing a crime that largely takes place on mountaintops.
I was very pleased to be able to help launch a new joint initiative between Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Caerphilly councils and Gwent Police that is funding two specialist officers to patrol upland areas and also purchasing a drone, a Land Rover and a quad bike.
It was encouraging to attend the launch and hear senior officers affirm their determination to deal with this menace.
Illegal off-roading is a scourge that causes devastating damage to the environment, disturbs livestock and wildlife and also intimidates farmers and walkers.
It’s fantastic that this new equipment is in place to help officers quickly access those areas, identify those responsible and clamp down on illegal off-roading.

Lord Cameron and Greensill
The Guardian recently ran a piece about my ongoing calls for transparency around Lord Cameron’s time working with Lex Greensill.
In my latest letter to Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s adviser on ministerial interests, I have asked for clarity about Lord Cameron’s employment at Greensill Capital and a full account of his personal flights taken on Greensill’s private planes.
This is in addition to already having:
– Raised the issue at PMQs
– Asked the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether Lord Cameron could be considered a Shadow Director at Greensill and if this has been assessed by the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.
– Written to the Treasury Select Committee about Lord Cameron’s failure to provide details of all the personal flights he took on Greensill’s private planes.
– Called for him to declare how much he earned from Greensill Capital and what and when he knew about Greensill’s collapse.

Steelworkers
I spoke at an advice event for steelworkers affected by the British Steel Pension Scandal in Ebbw Vale last month, as part of the ongoing work on the campaign.
I followed this by writing to the Financial Regulators Complaints Commissioner with the concerns I picked up from steelworkers about the redress scheme that is now in place.
I was disappointed that the requested information was not forthcoming.
I will be meeting with the new FRCC to take this forward.

Surgeries
Thanks to Cllr Sue Edmunds for joining me at my advice surgery in Ebbw Vale just before Christmas.
My next surgery will be at Ystrad Deri Community Centre, Dukestown on Friday, January 19 at 4pm – 5pm.