I have been in Welsh politics for a long time now, serving as the Welsh Assembly Member for Monmouth from 1999 until 2007 and the constituency’s Member of Parliament for 17 years. It was a pleasant surprise last Tuesday to be invited to walk up Downing Street where I was offered the role of Secretary of State for Wales. Of course, it was a great honour to accept and become part of the new Prime Minister’s cabinet. I got to know Rishi Sunak a little during the Covid-19 pandemic when I was a junior Wales Office minister and I sometimes took part in meetings he chaired. Rishi has an outstanding intellectual knowledge of briefs but is also a warm individual. I have no doubt he will be a superb Prime Minister during these difficult times. He has made clear that the priority of this government is going to be to solve the cost of living crisis that has been brought about by a range of international factors and to target our support at the most vulnerable in society. As Secretary of State for Wales, I will ensure Wales has a strong voice around the cabinet table and that jobs and investment continue to come into our nation.
One of the joys of living in Monmouthshire is there is always so much going on and the weekend was no exception. I was delighted to attend an open day at Ludus Gym in Monmouth on Saturday to launch CrossFit in the local community. I joined a great session learning the techniques for Olympic weightlifting. Even with a new job, I try to work out every day. It does get hard to find the motivation at times (and I am not as young these days!) but I am a huge advocate of how exercise is so important for both physical and mental health. Thank you to owner Tom Burns and his team for inviting me. Afterwards, I headed to Abergavenny for the opening of Benthyg-y-Fenni - which means borrow or lend in Welsh. This exciting new project aims to make borrowing as easy as popping out for a loaf of bread and you can loan all manner of items from a ‘Library of Things’, such as gazebos, pressure washers, sewing machines and party crockery. It really is an excellent idea to reduce waste, encourage re-use and save money. You can find more information at https://monmouthshire.benthyg.cymru
*Published in the Monmouthshire Beacon on 2 November 2022 and Abergavenny Chronicle on 3 November 2022*