There’s been some worrying news this week as Caerphilly became the first county in Wales to go into local lockdown following a spike in coronavirus cases. No one will be allowed to leave the county without good reason, family and friends living apart will no longer be able to meet indoors, stay overnight, or form extended households, and everyone over the age of 11 must wear a face covering in … [Read more...]

It's been great to see so many of you out and about in Swansea East over the summer - albeit in a socially distanced manner! - and I always enjoy being able to spend the recess working at home in the constituency.  I know that since my last roundup, there have been a number of changes to the Covid-19 rules and regulations, and it's been lovely to see families able to meet up and enjoy time … [Read more...]

This week I wrote an article for Politics Home on the importance of the rehabilitation and employability programmes offered by Working Chance for women leaving prison. The stigma of having a criminal record makes it incredibly challenging for people to find jobs when they leave prison, increasing the risk of reoffending and ending up back inside.  With over 70% of women sentenced to fewer than six … [Read more...]

I co-chaired another meeting of the Beauty, Aesthetics, and Wellbeing All-Party Parliamentary Group this week. We heard from a number of doctors and representatives of organisations concerned with the prevalence of skin cancer in the UK and discussed the important role which the beauty sector can play in skin cancer detection and prevention. Hair, health, and beauty professionals are in a unique … [Read more...]

The Chancellor’s financial statement was the big news out of Parliament this week, and frankly it utterly failed to live up to expectations. We need a budget that will support people back into work or to help them retrain if they’ve lost their jobs because of the pandemic. Giving money to businesses who retain staff might help some, but it will be wasted on many who would have brought staff back … [Read more...]