00:00I stand here as the first ever MP for Bracken, Radnor and Comtower, the largest constituency
00:14in England and Wales. Therefore, I have a foot in two worlds—one in rural mid Wales
00:20and the other in the Swansea valley. I wish to pay tribute to my predecessors, Fay Jones
00:26and Christina Rees, for their commitment to Welsh politics and their service to these
00:30communities.
00:32The north of the constituency starts in the uplands of Radnorshire, a historic old county
00:37featuring the market towns of Knighton, Rheada, the outdoor capital of Wales, and Pristine.
00:44Our constituency has three spa towns—Clyndrindod Wells, Bilth Wells and Llanurty Wells. Bilth
00:51Wells, of course, is where the Royal Welsh Show, Europe's largest agricultural gathering,
00:55takes place each summer. At the centre is my handsome, historic home town of Bracken,
01:01home to the army in Wales and a thriving Nepalese community. The world book town of Hay-on-Wye
01:08shows that a small rural town can be a world leader, as does Britain's best high street
01:14in Crickhowell, not forgetting the horticultural talents on display in Talgarth.
01:21At the head of the Swansea valley is Ystrgynlais, the birthplace of the British iron industry,
01:26and Pontydawr, where the roof of the White House itself was made. This enormous constituency
01:33was not created by popular demand, but was welded together following the previous Government's
01:39decision to cut the number of Welsh constituencies by a fifth. Wales responded by cutting the
01:48number of Welsh Conservative MPs to zero. Welsh farmers will not forget the trade deals
01:55they signed with New Zealand and Australia. Wales wants a fairer deal from this Parliament.
02:03Yesterday we debated the challenges facing the NHS in England. Many of my constituents
02:07travel to England for NHS treatment. I have tried healthcare systems across the world.
02:14I was run over by a car in the Netherlands and was paralysed by Guillain-Barré syndrome
02:18in Argentina. It was a tough couple of years. I have seen how high-quality healthcare changes
02:23lives and saves lives. I am sorry to say that the Welsh NHS is in dire straits. Its outcomes
02:31are worse than in England, yet no equivalent review is taking place in Wales. Instead,
02:38the Welsh Government are forcing health boards to make heavy budget cuts. They are proposing
02:44to cut the opening hours at minor injuries units at hospitals in Brecon, Llandrindod
02:49Wells and Ystradgynlais, and forcing local residents to make long journeys, travelling
02:55long distances and relying on roads that are often closed, or bus journeys that can take
02:59a whole day. People living in rural areas should not have to pay a rural penalty to
03:06access healthcare. Indeed, rural areas can help tackle the healthcare crisis that we
03:11face. Take obesity. We can lighten the load on our NHS by bettering the nation's diet.
03:20If we recognised the true value of good food and local produce, we would appreciate the
03:24public health and environmental benefits from the money spent on the agricultural budget.
03:30The Government must be aware of the massive multiplier effect that the agricultural budget
03:34has for the rural economy, and should give farmers the stability and funding they need.
03:40Food security is a major concern. Sixty-one per cent of farmers are considering giving
03:45up, and the farming workforce is dwindling. Our farmers and growers produce world-class
03:52produce, battling harsh weather and constantly changing market conditions. Those market conditions
03:58are often set by retail giants. I know that my predecessor, Roger Williams, fought to
04:04level the relationship between retailers and farmers through strengthening the Groceries
04:08Code adjudicator. It is a shame that the Conservatives did not do more to strengthen that code during
04:14their time in office. I will carry on that fight.
04:18Only this past week have we seen an important campaign from Riverford, holding supermarkets
04:23to account for misleading shoppers with fake farm brands and driving Britain's family
04:28farms to the brink. That is just one example of the challenges that farmers face. We need
04:34to champion local food systems, not imports. Let us support the movement towards rebuilding
04:42local supply chains, driven by a new generation of rural entrepreneurs who are opening restaurants,
04:48building brands, bringing back jobs and remaking our high streets. That spirit of innovation
04:54flourishes still in Wales. We once had the lead in industrial sciences. We were the world's
05:01first industrial nation, but now Wales is £10,000 ahead, poorer than England, and still
05:09shedding jobs. For both of my grandfathers, the steel industry was the first rung on the
05:15career ladder. One of them climbed the ladders at Port Talbot, but now those ladders have
05:21been taken away. Those jobs must be replaced for the families in my constituency who are
05:27now facing unemployment before Christmas. If this Government want to back Welsh industry
05:32and Welsh jobs, they can do so by backing the Global Centre for Rail Excellence in Antloen.
05:39Great Britain has no all-purpose testing centre for railway vehicles and infrastructure, but
05:44this former mine has been repurposed to be that facility. Give us the tools, and we will
05:50get on with it, for we still know how to dig ourselves out of a hole in Wales. We
05:55are a creative people. We love music, we love words and we love singing. We love reading
06:00about other people, which is why my constituency sustains three local newspapers—the Brecon
06:05and Radnor Express, the County Times and the Mid Wales Journal—as well as the Pontymag,
06:10the Beacon and the Roscoff Gossip.
06:12Finally, I would like to thank my partner Gemma, whose bravery and resourcefulness continue
06:18to inspire me. To my son, William, and our next soon-to-be-born child, who does not have
06:23a name yet, I am opting for Enzo, so I would love the House's support for Enzo. I dedicate
06:31my work here to fighting for the future you deserve.
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