July 4 marked the two year anniversary of Labour winning the 2024 election.
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, and there are certainly still storms to weather, there is so much UK Labour can be proud of.
When you cut through the noise, there are so many successes we’ve achieved. There are the many national achievements I’ve highlighted previously – such as fixing the public finances, bringing down NHS waiting lists, strengthening workers’ rights and getting more neighbourhood police back on our streets – but we can also take a moment to look at how UK Labour has been delivering real change here in Wales.
In just two years, the UK Labour Government has secured major investment in Welsh jobs, industry and infrastructure. From backing the future of steel at Port Talbot and bringing new nuclear to Wylfa, to committing £14bn to transform Welsh rail and investing in the industries of the future, Labour is creating opportunities across every part of Wales.
At the same time, Labour provided the Welsh Government with almost £6.5bn in additional spending power, while delivering practical support for families through higher wages, lower energy bills, a higher State Pension, increases to Universal Credit and the scrapping of the two-child limit.
We also put things right with a pension boost for retired mineworkers and their families, something I campaigned hard for over the years, and provided more than £140m to keep coal tips safe, something I raised with Keir Starmer at PMQs after the landslide we had in Cwmtillery.
These are real, tangible improvements that are making a difference to communities across Wales—proof that while others continue to shout from the sidelines, Labour is focused on delivering.
We have to continue delivering and work much harder at getting our message out to let people know about the good work being done.
July 2024 – July 2026
I took a look at the data from the last two years and since the last General Election, I’ve helped close 6,714 constituency cases for local people, replied to 9935 emails, taken part in 930 Parliamentary votes, made 347 Parliamentary Questions and contributions, held 39 advice surgeries, met with organisations about local issues on 65 occasions, visited 56 local businesses, 17 schools and attended dozens of community meetings and events.
Alongside this day-to-day casework, I’ve organised local events including Pension Credit advice events, a Google Garage workshop for businesses, support events for BCSSS pensioners, jobs fairs, and our Everyone Deserves a Christmas and Everyone Deserves an Easter campaigns.
We’ve also secured major investment for our communities, including £40 million through Pride in Place and £20 million in Trailblazer funding.
Pride in Place
I’m pleased to be able to announce that Rev’d Matt Davis has been appointed Chair of the Pride in Place Neighbourhood Board. This is the board that will steer the spending of the UK Labour Government’s £20m investment in the Sirhowy valley.
Matt is a valued part of the Tredegar community and has a genuine passion for the town and its future. He will do a great job, I’m sure. This £20m investment is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to support projects that local people want to see.
What’s especially important is that spending decisions will be made by the community itself, through the Neighbourhood Board. I would encourage anyone with the skills, experience and enthusiasm to help shape Tredegar’s future to consider putting themselves forward. You can express your interest here: https://tinyurl.com/3nr5puh4
By working together, we can make the most of this funding and create improvements that will be felt for many years to come.
I was also really pleased to meet the Chair of the Bargoed, Aberbargoed and New Tredegar Neighbourhood board John Williams. Another fantastic appointment who I know will do a great job.
Additional Learning Needs (ALN) funding
I’m pleased to see the hard work from colleagues in the Senedd and the wider Labour group who are campaigning to ensure the additional funding made available by the UK Labour Government is used to improve support for children with Additional Learning Needs.
Despite this extra funding being available and promises that were made, the Plaid Cymru Government has failed to allocate a single extra penny for ALN in its supplementary budget.
As former campaigns manager at the NSPCC I know how important it is that every child is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. Our schools must have the resources they need.
Armed Forces Week
Armed Forces Week is a fantastic opportunity to recognise the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who serve our country. In Parliament, I met representatives from the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to discuss the changing nature of defence, from cyber capabilities to cutting-edge drone technology, and also had the chance to meet military working dogs Ross and Sophie, whose specialist skills help keep our Armed Forces Back home, it was a pleasure to attend Tredegar Armed Forces Day.
It was wonderful to see how this event has grown over the years. This local celebration of our Armed Forces began as an idea that Cllr Alyson Tippings and I discussed, and it’s gone from strength to strength thanks to the hard work of the volunteers from Tredegar Town Council who make it happen each year. There was a tremendous turnout, helped by the fantastic weather and, of course, the bouncy castle for the children. The local Air and Army Cadets marched us to the park bandstand, where Rev Matt Davis and Elizabeth Jones led a service celebrating the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women who keep us safe and secure.
Defence Investment
During Armed Forces Week, the UK Government announced its new Defence Investment Plan—backing our Armed Forces while creating skilled jobs and supporting businesses across Wales.
Wales is set to benefit from the UK’s extra £15bn investment in defence, the biggest increase in defence spending since the Cold War. This will strengthen Wales’s role in defence innovation while building on the £50m Defence Growth Deal announced earlier this year.
The plan includes: 60,000 new UK defence industry jobs, including in Wales; £2.5bn of extra support for small and medium-sized businesses; £5bn of drone programmes to benefit Wales’ world-leading sector; £182m to train the next generation of Wales’ defence workforce.
Here in Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney, we are well placed to benefit with Thales in Ebbw Vale, which already works closely with Cyber College Cymru, creating training opportunities and recruiting talented young people, and just outside our constituency, General Dynamics has sites in Oakdale and Merthyr Tydfil.
War Pension Scheme 🎥
I also took the opportunity to raise a related issue regarding War Pensions in Parliament.
While work is under way to tackle the backlog of War Pension Scheme claims, there are still veterans waiting for decisions.
The War Pension Scheme supports veterans whose injuries or illnesses were caused by their military service.
I raised the case of 88-year-old Denzil Hancock who has been in touch with me because he is still waiting for a decision.
I called for a statement on what is being done to reduce processing times and was pleased that the Leader of the House said he would raise my concerns with the relevant Defence Minister.
Royal Mail 🎥
I also spoke about the many people in Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney who are still being let down by delays to Royal Mail deliveries. In the House I raised the case of a constituent who contacted me because he has been removed from a hospital treatment waiting list on three separate occasions because appointment letters didn’t arrive in time.
I have encouraged local healthcare providers to use Royal Mail’s NHS-specific barcode, which prioritises important health correspondence, but I was still glad to hear that the Business and Trade Committee is continuing to examine Royal Mail’s performance as this issue does not appear to be improving. The Leader of the House has committed to raising this issue with the department and I will continue pressing for improvements.
Virgin Media 🎥
Virgin Media has been fined a record £28m after Ofcom found it deliberately made it harder for customers to cancel contracts. The regulator found that millions of calls were mishandled between 2022 and 2024, with customers repeatedly put on hold for no reason, transferred between departments, having calls deliberately dropped and even being prevented from cancelling altogether. Ofcom also found that staff were financially rewarded for these practices.
In Parliament, I raised this case and asked who is being held accountable for this predatory corporate behaviour. The Chief Executive appears to be getting off scot free. I think that the shareholders should be considering his future and the possibility of bonuses being returned.
Working with Coleg Gwent
I’m continuing to work with Coleg Gwent on issues around improving chances for young people in our area and was pleased to put together some very productive meetings this month.
First, I met with officers from Blaenau Gwent Council to discuss how we can better connect our pioneering Cyber College Cymru course with local primary schools. The earlier we can spark an interest in cyber security and digital, the better chance we have of helping young people develop the skills they’ll need for the well-paid jobs of the future.
I also met with Flying Officer Daniel Eacott from Ebbw Vale Air Cadets to discuss creating more opportunities for local young people through the cadets.
Cyber security and defence go hand in hand, and by linking education with organisations like the Air Cadets, we can help inspire the next generation while opening exciting career paths in good skilled jobs in an industry that’s growing so quickly and becoming more important every day.
Health, wellbeing and employment
There is some really fantastic work being done by Aneurin Leisure at the moment to bring together public health, our leisure services and also employment.
I visited Tredegar Leisure Centre last week with Director of Operations Tom Kivell to hear more about some of the programmes that are making a real difference in our community.
These include the Welsh Government-funded Public Health Wales National Exercise Referral Scheme, where people can be referred by their GP to a 16-week exercise programme, and the UK Labour Government-funded Trailblazer scheme, which helps people overcome health barriers to get back into work.
The support on offer covers access to the gym, and also everything from reduced-cost memberships and personalised fitness plans to nutrition advice and employment support.
It was particularly good to meet Jonathan Jones, who had been referred to the exercise programme following a knee injury. Since March, he has lost 8.5kg and told me he doesn’t think he could have achieved it without the support of the scheme.
This was great to hear and a good example of the sort of successes we can see with these schemes.
Aberbargoed Pistol and Rifle Club
It was a pleasure to return to Aberbargoed Pistol and Rifle Club, having previously helped the club resolve a dispute with Vodafone over rent payments for a telecommunications mast on their land.
I raised the matter in Parliament and followed it up directly with Vodafone. I was pleased that the issue was ultimately resolved, securing an additional £35,000 for the club.
Surgeries
Thank you to Cllr Carl Cuss and Cllr Derrick Bevan for joining me at busy advice surgeries in Rhymney and Cwm.
My next surgery will be taking place in Nantyglo on Monday, August 17 (10am – 11am).
Please get in touch if you want to speak with me about anything I may be able to help with.
– 01495 313167
– nick.smith.mp@parliament.uk
In The Right Court
It’s great to see the return of the “In the Right Court” sports engagement programme for a second year. I popped along with Cllr David Harse to see the taster session and chat with Neighbourhood policing inspector Lysha Thompson.
Following a successful first summer, the initiative will return from 1 July and take place every Wednesday, offering free sporting activities for people of all ages at Rhymney Tennis Courts.
Well done Rhymney Police and Caerphilly County Borough Council for putting this together.
Convatec
I was delighted to be asked to formally open Convatec’s newly expanded manufacturing facility in Rhymney following a £24m investment in the site.
This is a major vote of confidence in the skills and dedication of our local workforce and in the future of advanced manufacturing here in Wales. The investment will increase production of Convatec’s world-leading wound care technology, which is manufactured in Rhymney and exported to around 90 countries across the globe.
What also particularly impresses me about Convatec is its work with global health organisations to improve access to care in some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities, while also supporting various local charities through its Convatec Cares programme, including funding for the Helping Hands Cancer Self-Help Group in Rhymney.
Halton
It was great to visit Halton in Ebbw Vale. I’m really pleased to hear that the business is thriving and looking ahead to further expansion. It’s very encouraging to hear about plans to work more closely with HiVE, helping to develop local skills, creating pathways into employment.
It’s also always good to hear about companies in our area making an impact on big projects outside of the area and so I was especially interested to hear about all the good work Halton is doing to supply control dampers to Hinkley Point C, the nuclear power station being built on the Somerset coast.
ABM
I popped in to Adhesive Backed Materials Ltd in Tredegar.
Based on the Crown Business Park, this business has been supplying a wide range of custom die-cut foam, gasket and adhesive solutions throughout Europe since 1993.
I had a good chat with Director Gareth Bowen and staff who were on site. A great company to have here in Blaenau Gwent & Rhymney.
Kidz R Us
I went along to Kidz R Us in Tredegar to discuss future opportunities and learn more about the fantastic work they do in our community.
This is a really special club, providing opportunities for local children to develop their confidence, creativity and talents through dance, drama, singing and more recently even K-Pop classes. The venue not only hosts local events but also supports a range of activities and groups that bring together people of all ages.
Amazingly, this August, Kidz R Us will celebrate its 25th anniversary. Over this time, I’m told that tens of thousands of children have passed through its doors.
Well done all.
Glyncoed Primary
It was great to take a look around Glyncoed Primary School recently. Such a bright, modern building with loads of room for the children to enjoy themselves, learning and playing.
I was especially pleased to see the fantastic forest school and gardening areas too. Brilliant spaces that help bring learning to life and give pupils the chance to build confidence, curiosity and outdoor skills.