|
The Welsh election results were incredibly tough to take. Make no bones about it, they were disastrous. I have been a Labour member for decades, a former party organiser in Wales, and I helped our movement win in both 1997 and 2024. That experience teaches you one thing very clearly: Labour victories are rare, hard-earned and fragile. There is no room for complacency. Our populist opponents offer easy slogans and simple answers. Yes, we have made mistakes, and people are frustrated that the change we promised has not come quickly enough, but we should not ignore what our Labour governments have already achieved together. There is good work being done. We have delivered record investment, we are reducing NHS waiting lists, creating new jobs, putting more money in working people’s pockets and delivering the biggest expansion of workers’ rights in a generation. We are putting more police on the streets. We are fixing the financial black hole we inherited. But clearly, too many people are not feeling this progress in their day-to-day lives. Too many families still feel squeezed. Too many communities still feel left behind. People feel let down. They want hope, optimism and tangible improvements. When I speak to people in the constituency about plans like the Pride in Place programme and new programmes for getting young people into work, the response is often “about time”. People want delivery. They want long-term investment in their communities and better opportunities for the next generation. Labour has come back before. Blaenau Gwent was lost in 2005 and 2006. People said we would never win it back, but we did in 2010. There is still a path to victory in 2029 because the question will be different. We will be asking: who do you trust to run the country and keep it safe in dangerous times? Populists shouting slogans from the sidelines? Or serious people capable of governing? We must stop beating ourselves up and start focusing on delivering the changes people want to feel in their lives. We must go further, faster and make change people can actually feel. In my view, the recent media speculation and internal disagreements about the Prime Minister’s future have not been constructive. I am clear that we cannot return to the instability and chaos that marked successive Conservative governments. At a time of global uncertainty and economic pressure, this would be especially damaging. In his speech last week, I welcomed the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement that this Government must act with greater speed and urgency to deliver the change promised at the last General Election, and I am satisfied that the King’s Speech set out a bold and credible programme for building a fairer country and delivering the change people rightly expect from this Labour Government. The Labour Party has a clear process for triggering a leadership contest and, as I write, that process has not been triggered. Whilst there has been speculation about potential contenders, no formal challenger has yet come forward. In my view, what the country needs now is stable leadership and a government focused on the job at hand. I want a Labour government that invests in places like ours over the long term. I want a major programme to give young people genuine opportunities and restore pride in our communities that have been overlooked for too long. |
|
Monthly Data In April, I responded to 614 emails from people across the constituency. These can be anything from requests for help or advice, to questions about policy and Parliament. 531 individual cases were dealt with and closed — real issues affecting local people, where I worked to provide answers, make representations, solve problems and secure support. This work is carried out by me and a small team based in my local office, focused on helping people here in Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney. |
|
|
Iran 🎥 |
|
Rotary International 🎥 |
|
Youth Hubs 🎥 |
|
Broadband |
|
Rugby trials |
|
|
Hilltop Log Cabin |
|
|
Pen-y-Cwm Visits |
|
|
Surgery |
|
