Swansea West Report - Oct '22

WELSH LABOUR & CO-OPERATIVE MP

MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR SWANSEA WEST

Abertawe ac yn gweithio dros Abertawe

The Tory-made crisis must end, we need a General Election now

The Conservative Government have plunged our country in economic turmoil in recent weeks and we need a General Election now to elect a Labour Government.

Speaking in during Labour’s Urgent Question to the Prime Minister on sacking of the Chancellor, I said “As the new Chancellor has reversed all the economic promises made by the Prime Minister in her election campaign to become Prime Min ister and as that very

very Chancellor had the fewest votes in that leadership election—he was thrown out with only 18—does that not show that the next Prime Minister should not be chosen by Conservative Members and their wider membership, but by the British people in a general election, as soon as possible, to get this country back on track?”

The sacking of the Chancellor, after he carried out the ideological policies of both the PM and the Chancellor, was a clear act of self preservation. The newly-appoint ed Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, has now committed to further austerity with public services already at the brink.

Speaking on the Chancellor’s u-turn announcement, I said “Before the Chancellor goes on a spending cut spree of public services, will he look at the analysis in today’s Financial Times that says that every £1 invested in the NHS generates £4 in growth? Will he also do what he can to protect poorly paid health workers who are facing much higher mortgage costs due to his Government?”

Wales leading on the right to food, says Geraint

Geraint Davies MP this month continued his campaign on the right to food, as households are forced to make the difficult decision between heating and eating.

Geraint highlighted the world-leading policies of the Welsh Labour Government on the provision of Free School Meals to all primary-aged pupils and Breakfast Clubs, calling on the UK Government to replicate these policies in England for their pupils.

Speaking in the Envionment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, Geraint said “With one in four children experiencing food poverty, do you agree that implementing free school meals, as we are doing in Wales, would mean higher performance in schools, better concentration and better health, meaning savings for the health service and improved productivity in terms of the growth agenda?”

Standing in solidarity with Ukrainian MPs against Putin’s missile bombardment against civilians - turning an illegal invasion into state sponsored terrorism on an industrial scale

Geraint Supports Ukraine Call For Air Defences

This month I represented the United Kingdom at the Council of Europe where we heard from President Zelensky on the need for more air defences in Ukraine to save innocent lives.

Speaking in the Council of Europe I said “Mr President, we stand today in solidarity against Mr Vladimir Putin’s grotesque escalation of mis sile attacks launched to the cities across Ukraine, from Belarus, from Russia, from the Caspian Sea, from Crimea. Now. half the downpour of missiles may have been intercepted by air defences, but half of course hit their targets, killing civilians, taking out water, taking out heating installations, to terrorise the popu lation into submission.

“Ukraine urgently needs more air defence as we’ve already heard from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They’ve only got 10% of their needs - there is a two and a half thousand kilometre border. We know even in Belarus they’ve got rockets, missiles, drones from Iran, attacking all our freedoms.

“Mr Vladimir Putin knows his war is illegal, as Russia, of course, was expelled from the Council of Europe for breaking rules that they’d signed up to in terms of

democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and then committed an unprovoked attack on a sovereign democracy, unleashing mass killings now on civilians.

“He knows his referenda are also illegal in occupied areas. They’re done at gunpoint - they aren’t even done with the consent of the Russian people, who wouldn’t vote for more land they don’t need for the blood of Russian soldiers. It’s clearly farcical to suggest that that referendum somehow legitimises the threat or use of nuclear weapons. He is losing ground, and so he’s escalating into state terrorism, targeting civilians on an industrial scale, in breach of the Geneva Convention.

“His mass call-up has backfired; those who’ve been keeping their heads down in Russia are now resisting their sons being sent to their death. Hundreds of thousands are leaving Russia. The talk of a 5% income tax increase to pay for more guns isn’t going down well, to pay for land Russia doesn’t need. Now we have the misinformation campaign that if Putin were replaced, he would be replaced by someone even worse, which is another act of propaganda desperation.

“Meanwhile, China stands in support of Russia, knowing that the fall of Ukraine would trigger a green light for the invasion of Taiwan. What’s more, of course it is rendering Russia as a dependent state on China, so vast swathes of land now leased, of course, by China, of Russian land, will eventually be come Russian.

“So we’ve got this farcical situation where Russia is taking over other people’s territories. Over time its own territories will be taken, because it’s cutting itself away from the economic and political ties to the west. Ultimately, we want a return in Russia of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and economic relations.

“This is the price of peace - but that price will only be won with complete military withdrawal, with international justice pursued by this body, and reconciliation. That task will require a doubling of all our efforts, in all our countries, to ensure that this brutal attack, and such brutal attacks in the future never ever succeed.”

UK faces famine under Tories

The day the Queen died I spoke in response to Prime Minister Liz Truss to explain that the UK now faces famine.

“Famine is not caused by food shortages but instead when high prices meet low wages (according to Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen) and this is now leading to starvation in the UK.

“After 12 years of Tory austerity - with cuts in public servants, services, real wages and welfare plus the pound’s devaluation following the EU referendum - we are now poorer with millions thrust into poverty. Therefore, as a poorer country, we have been struck more painfully by the energy price tsunami caused by Putin’s invasion. We now face the prospect of thousands dying of starvation according to Sir Michael Mar mot as the conditions for famine occur in the UK for the first time in living memory.

“Our national weakness and the level lack of resilience would have been avoided if, instead of austerity, average growth under the last Labour government (which saw the economy grow by 40% in ten years) had continued. This would have made average wages £10,000 higher according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. We would have then been more resilient to the global shocks of the pandemic and Putin’s invasion making intervention costs lower and the pain more bearable.

“Instead household energy and food costs exceed the incomes they require for mil lions of people. Meanwhile energy companies have pocketed unearned windfall prof its - as they were made by higher Putin prices above unchanged operational costs - which they should pay back to the households they took it from. This would prevent a further £500 price hike causing hardship and starvation.

“Instead the Conservative Government is allowing energy companies to keep OUR money to spend on on management bonuses and shareholder dividends. This means average energy bills will rise another £500, on top of the £700 in April, to £2,500 and stay there for ten years so we can pay the extra cost over time when energy companies keep our cash.

“This is meant to be paid back by economic growth but the OECD has found higher inequality leads to lower economic growth so. Therefore refunding the national in surance increase which gives the poorest 10% of people £7.60 and the richest £1800 makes no sense morally or economically.”

RIP Queen Elizabeth II

Last month, we paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth who reigned with such grace and distinction over 70 years and welcomed the proclamation of King Charles III.

Top left: Swansea Proclamation

Top right: First speech of King Charles

Bottom: Geraint attending the Swansea Service of Commemoration

As Rapporteur in Trade I went to the World Trade Organisation to press forward policies to incorporate democracy, human rights, the rule of law and compliance with the Paris Agreement into trade deals. I was also elected as the Vice Chair of the Public Health and Sustaniable Development Committee in the Council of Europe

Excited Grange Primary School children & councillors celebrate with Olympian star James Jones work starting on Skate Park in Mayals - a fantastic facility ready to roll in four months thanks to our Community & City Councils and lottery funding.

Geraint Davies MP campaigning with local members ahead of the