Michael Gove Answers Questions On The Impact Of Coronavirus On UK-EU Negotiations

27 Apr 2020

In a meeting of the Future Relationship with the EU Committee Michael Gove told me that 47 civil servants have been taken off EU negotiations to deal with Covid-19. This is rightly so, tackling the virus must be the Government’s number one priority.  But the re-deployment raises concerns over whether…

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Protecting the Welsh economy after Covid-19 pandemic

24 Apr 2020

It’s deeply worrying that Port Talbot is in the top 100 towns identified in research by the Centre For Towns and the University of Southampton as being most economically at risk from the COVID-19 pandemic, and that Wales is likely to be the worst affected region in the United Kingdom.…

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There can be no post-pandemic economic recovery without a strong and healthy steel industry

22 Apr 2020

For the first time in it’s 700 year history Parliament sat virtually and I was one of the Members to take part in Prime Ministers Question via Zoom. Dominic Raab was standing in for the Prime Minister and I asked him about support for the British steel industry. I told…

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UK Government help for vital charities needed during coronavirus outbreak

31 Mar 2020

Many charities and community organisations in Aberavon, and across the country, have been doing tremendous work to support the most vulnerable in our communities during the coronavirus crisis. Many have been on the frontline, playing a crucial role in the national response to coronavirus. They have answered the UK Government’s…

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Coronavirus: Recently Self Employed

29 Mar 2020

I teamed up with Roy Rickhuss of Community Union to write to the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, setting out how the Government can do more to support people who have recently gone self-employed and who don’t currently qualify for the new Income Support Scheme. 

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Coronavirus: Statutory Sick Pay And Self Employed

22 Mar 2020

I signed this important letter to the Chancellor, but we’re still waiting on him to introduce new measures for self-employed people and to increase statutory sick pay. Before Parliament shuts he should introduce Norway model – paying 80% of each worker’s average earnings over past 3 years, for 3 months.

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Covid 19: The self-employed and businesses need clear information on what support is available to them

18 Mar 2020

I made the case that Statutory Sick Pay should be paid by government upfront, rather than asking businesses to claim back. The system must also be clearer about what is available for self-employed people who don’t qualify for the new ESA payment. Stephen Kinnock: On this point about statutory sick…

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Tackling regional inequality must be central to creating a fairer Britain

17 Mar 2020

For far too long our economy has focused on wealth, power and opportunity in our major cities, and this has come at the expense of industrial, rural and coastal areas. The result has been wealth and talent has moved from villages and towns in communities like Aberavon to cities. These…

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Covid-19 must be the Government’s number one priority

17 Mar 2020

While the country battles Coronavirus UK-EU talks are on-going as the clock ticks down to the end of the transition period. These are complex talks taking up a tremendous amount of Government time and attention. The Government’s number one priority must be Covid-19 and all efforts must be directed towards…

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Future Relationship with the European Union Committee: Border In The Irish Sea

17 Mar 2020

Stephen Kinnock: I wanted to follow up on the Chair’s line of questioning regarding the interaction between the implementation of the withdrawal agreement and the future relationship negotiations, focusing in particular on the Northern Ireland protocol. I wanted to ask you a broad and general question on this. On 14…

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Coronavirus crisis is not an opportunity for private health industry to make money

16 Mar 2020

With everyone across the country, small businesses, care workers, health professionals and families making huge sacrifices, it’s disgraceful that the private health industry is planning to charge our NHS £2.4m per day for the rental of 8000 beds. The Coronavirus crisis is a public health emergency, not an opportunity for…

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The UK economy cannot stand up without a backbone made of steel

11 Mar 2020

On the eve of the Budget I led a Westminster Hall debate on the future of the British steel industry, calling on the Government to support the steel industry in the budget. The Port Talbot steelworks is the beating heart of our community, so a prosperous steel industry is vitally…

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Michael Gove appears before the Future Relationship with the European Union Committee

11 Mar 2020

Stephen Kinnock: I wanted to ask about this question of proximity. Your party, Mr Gove, fought the general election on the basis of an oven ready deal, and that oven-ready deal was as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement and the political declaration. On 27 February you came to the…

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US Steel Tariffs Have Been Deeply Damaging For Our Steel Industry

02 Mar 2020

As the UK Government prepares to open trade negotiations with the United States, I challenged the Government to stand up for steelworkers and the steel industry by exempting them from the deeply damaging tariffs that have been imposed by President Trump. The Secretary of State said she would remove the…

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Regulators Hear From Steelworkers

27 Feb 2020

I , along with colleagues Nick Smith, Jessica Morden and Tonia Antoniazzi, welcomed dozens of steelworker to Parliament for a meeting with financial regulators over the British Steel Pension Scheme scandal. Steelworkers told the regulator how cowboy financial advisers offering bad pension advice and ripping them off had had a…

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St David’s Day Debate 2020

27 Feb 2020

It is such a pleasure to follow my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Alex Davies-Jones). She has made a real impact since coming to Parliament some months ago, and she is also in the process of organising the Welsh parliamentary Labour party social. That is an excellent role and…

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Make Ends Meet

25 Feb 2020

I have co-signed this letter from my colleague Alison McGovern, it calls on the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to: 1. Remove the two-child limit for Universal Credit 2. Reduce the waiting time for Universal Credit Universal Credit is pushing many families and vulnerable people in Aberavon into significant financial…

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Flooding Relief Across South Wales

24 Feb 2020

I’m proud to stand with Welsh Labour colleagues in calling on the Prime Minister to stand up for flood victims in Wales and ensure that funding is in place to support families, businesses and communities affected by the flooding caused by the storms. Welsh communities, the Welsh Government and local…

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HS2 and Wales

11 Feb 2020

Stephen Kinnock: The HS2 project, albeit somewhat shambolically handled, is great news for England, but it shows once again the contempt in which this Government hold the people of Wales. The entire budget for electrifying the main line to Swansea would be less than 1% of the vast sums that…

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Welsh Regiments’ Reception

11 Feb 2020

It was great to hear from the Welsh Cavalry and Royal Welsh about their vitally important work for national security, recruitment and the educational opportunities on offer.  We heard inspiring personal stories from those in the army and in the reserves.

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World Cancer Day 2020

05 Feb 2020

It was great talking to Cancer Research at their parliamentary drop-in about the critical, lifesaving work they do in the fight to beat cancer. Their cutting edge research and vital campaigns that raise awareness on the importance of early diagnosis make us ever closer to beating the BigC! I’m standing…

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