We are back this week after a Conference which I felt carried a real sense of strength, unity and shared purpose. The speeches were powerful affirmations of Labour as a serious government with a long-term vision for national change and renewal. In his speech the Prime Minister said that we are all facing a choice between decency or division, between renewal or decline. We know that the path of renewal isn’t easy, but we have to face up to the hard work of delivering the changes that people need.
This Labour government is already making a difference. We are fixing the foundations by repairing public finances. We are reducing NHS waiting lists. We are putting more police on the street. We are securing international trade deals with the EU, the US and India to boost jobs and growth. We are providing funding to improve communities like ours in Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney and others across the UK. It was acknowledged by our Chancellor Rachel Reeves that there are further tests to come in the months ahead. Economic responsibility is still at the core of our plan, due to the long term damage to the economy that we are still working to fix. There is still some way to go, but ours is a party that is ready to fight for a better future, not through quick fixes but through hard work and determination, and by not being afraid of making tough decisions. What could have been a difficult week, did not occur. What Conference made clear is that we are here and we are ready to continue digging in to do the hard work needed to make a better future.
Deputy Leadership
After consideration, I decided to nominate Bridget Phillipson for the Labour Deputy Leader election. I think Bridget is a great candidate for the role, and someone I believe will complement, augment, and also challenge, Keir Starmer’s leadership where necessary, acting as a strong voice for us at the Cabinet table.
She has pledged to make reducing child poverty the moral mission of this government and her deputy leadership, having already been the driving force behind some of Labour’s big achievements helping young people in England – free school meals in line with the help our Welsh Labour government provides for children in our country – as well as breakfast clubs in Primary schools and bringing back Sure Start.
Bridget comes from a working class background, she understands the need to take the fight to Reform and stand up for our British values. She understands the importance of maintaining a united party to take on the challenges of the years ahead and wants to be at the forefront of a Labour party people are proud to support. I was especially taken with her being so candid in saying, while she would not defend the things Labour have got wrong, she would campaign loudly and proudly for the things we have got right.
Pride in Place funding
I am very pleased to have played a part in helping secure Pride in Place funding for Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney. Our area is among nine others in Wales set to receive funding, with both Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly local authorities to receive £21.5m each, in the form of £2m every year across the next 10 years. This money can be spent on anything from local park improvements, fixing up empty buildings and reviving our high streets, improving local facilities, backing community groups, helping create jobs and more. The spending will be decided by our councillors and local leaders, with the help of people in our communities. I look forward to working with them and others to make sure that every penny of this money goes to the things that matter most to local people. This is a great example of our Labour government investing in our Plan for Change and supporting communities like ours.
Trailblazer It was great to see our UK Under-Secretary of State for Wales Anna McMorrin and the Welsh Minister for Skills Jack Sargeant MS at Ebbw Vale Institute to hear about our Trailblazer programme in Blaenau Gwent. This new UK Government funding – something I worked with Welsh Office and DWP Ministers to help secure – will see our local leaders shaping a new multi-agency, joined-up approach to helping people into work, tailored to our community’s needs.
This will include things like one-to-one mentoring, counselling, wellbeing services, and management of health issues to help tackle unemployment, boosting local economic activity and unlocking growth.
Well done to all at Blaenau Gwent Council who have helped get this scheme up and running so quickly. It will be good to see how this all comes together in the coming months.
BCSSS
I’m pleased to have welcomed so many local British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) members to a meeting recently. This was an opportunity for members in Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney to hear updates on their pension scheme and also ask questions during a discussion on the next moves in the campaign.
Labour already put things right for more than 1600 Mineworkers Pension Scheme members in Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney, following years of campaigning by myself and other coalfield MPs. Now, I am hoping that we can do the same for the 321 BCSSS members we have here.
I am assured that hard work is going into this and I am hoping for an update at the budget, coming up on November 26.
Covid Contracts In the years following Covid, when I was on the Public Accounts Committee, I lead calls for transparency around government Covid contracts, and for those who took advantage to be held accountable.
I welcomed our Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ announcement that Labour is introducing new investigations team armed with powers to track down the billions lost during this time and ensure that criminal investigations take place where appropriate.
One of the big stories last week was the High Court ruling that PPE Medpro, a company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone, must pay back £122m having breached a contract with the government to supply surgical gowns.
I’m pleased with this finding as this was an issue I asked questions about in Parliament, and also wrote to the Health Secretary about as part of my ongoing work to get to the bottom of what exactly went on during the government’s pandemic PPE procurement.
There were so many examples of cronyism and profiteering that took place in the Conservative government’s pandemic procurement – something I was assured was absolutely not the case by former Health Secretary Matt Hancock in late 2020 and also challenged then Prime Minister Boris Johnson over.
I hope to see more action like this in the future. Any money blown on wasteful contracts by the previous Government must be paid back.
A469
Alongside Dawn Bowden MS and Upper Rhymney Valley Councillors, I attended a meeting with the Deputy Leader of Caerphilly Council to discuss financing for the upgrades that need to be made to the A469 between Pontlottyn and New Tredegar. We hope to see some progress on this soon.
Bevan Health and Wellbeing Centre
I was pleased to be invited to the official opening of the Bevan Health and Wellbeing Centre, Tredegar. This centre brings together primary care, mental health support, community services and wellbeing under one roof. Also at the launch I also met with local artist Nathan Wyburn with his artwork of Michael Sheen as Nye Bevan, and Vice Chair of Aneurin Bevan Health Board Philip Robson. A469 Alongside Dawn Bowden MS and Upper Rhymney Valley Councillors, I attended a meeting today with Deputy Leader of Caerphilly Council to discuss financing for the upgrades that need to be made to the A469 between Pontlottyn and New Tredegar. We hope to see some progress on this soon. It was especially nice to see Philip, his brother Neil and I were friends as teenagers in Tredegar and we both joined the Labour Party at the same time when we were 16.
Royal Mail
I visited the Royal Mail sorting office in Ebbw Vale where I always receive a warm welcome. I was keen to seek assurances that services were in good shape and people were going to get their mail on time after a number of constituents contacted me with concerns about irregular, and sometimes missed, deliveries. I’m told that the Royal Mail are reviewing their processes and working hard to meet their turnaround times. This has been a problem recently, if constituents are still experiencing delays in getting their mail, or want to share examples of poor service, they can get in touch by emailing me at nick.smith.mp@parliament.uk
AB Fit Gym
AB Fit Gym has been open in Abertillery for three months now, and I recently popped in to speak with owner Mike Britton. It’s lovely to see a friendly, community-based establishment which welcomes local sports clubs and teams. I hope the gym continues to thrive and wish them all the very best for the future.
