Parliament returned this week as MPs were recalled to London after recess.  Jacob Rees-Mogg and the UK Government took the decision to end hybrid proceedings and require MPs to be in the Chamber and to vote in person.   He seemed to be under the impression that if we weren’t in the building, we weren’t working.  Now, I don’t know about Jacob, but, like so many of you, I myself have regularly spent 12-hour working days at my kitchen table over the past couple of weeks - speaking in hybrid Parliamentary debates, working on constituency casework, and attending meetings via zoom.  Forcing MPs to return effectively disenfranchises the constituents of those who are shielding or have caring responsibilities at home, as they are unable to attend.  It also puts at risk the health of the thousands of people who work on the Parliamentary Estate.  We should be setting the example on how to protect employees.  Instead, we risked giving license to bad employers to put their employees at risk.  I am deeply disappointed with the Government's reckless decision.

At the start of the Parliamentary week I had the opportunity to question the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock, on the issue of access to medicinal cannabis for children.  I am furious that despite his promises, families across the country are still denied this access.  Teagan Appleby - who many of you will have heard me mention before - has been in intensive care twice in the last 10 weeks because her family have been unable to pay for the medical cannabis that they need to keep her alive. Families of epileptic children have seen their health and welfare put on the backburner first by Brexit, then a general election, and now the coronavirus. The sums of money we are talking about that would allow them to get a prescription on the NHS (as they are now legally allowed to do) are tantamount to what the Secretary of State’s Department spends on paper clips. He needs to right this wrong now and ensure that these children are given access to the medication that can help them so much.
I also spoke during Welsh Questions when I asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he could explain to the people of Wales why he is standing by while the UK Tory Government short-changes our incredible, hard-working carers by taxing the one-off thank you payment from the Welsh Government. The hypocrisy of the Welsh Tories who are going out to clap on their doorsteps and then allowing the UK Government to take away from an already underpaid and undervalued group of people is appalling. Our carers have continued to carry out their duties at great personal sacrifice to care for our vulnerable and often elderly loved ones and the Welsh Government are rightly acknowledging this. Our carers deserve better.

As you will have seen, this week the Welsh Government announced its plans for schools to return. They propose that all schools will start the next phase on 29 June, with the term extended by a week to end on 27 July. In the next academic year, beginning in September, the autumn half-term break will be extended to two weeks. In each school, year groups will be split into different cohorts, with staggered starts, lessons, and breaks to try to limit the number of pupils inside school buildings in small spaces at any one time. Smaller classes will support social distancing as well as providing dedicated time with teachers and classmates. Further education colleges are also intended to reopen for face-to-face learning with appropriate measures from 15 June. The Welsh Government will publish guidance to support schools and further education institutions next week with advice on managing facilities and logistical arrangements. It’s important that we bring children back into schools but that we continue to follow scientific guidance and only bring them back when it is safe to do so.

We have all been shocked this week as we watched the appalling scenes from America in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police.   These events have shone a light on the racism and hatred experienced by many - including in our own country – but particularly the racism experienced by Black people across the world.  This is something we all need to face up to and address. 

The Welsh Government has taken steps in Wales to understand why people from BAME communities are disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus as new evidence shows that they are four times as likely to die from the illness.   A new risk assessment has been launched to help protect BAME key workers in our NHS and social care as they continue to carry out their essential jobs.
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You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay local, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

Understandably, given mixed messages from the UK Government and a number of unclear news reports, there has been some confusion this week around the rules on social distancing and lockdown in Wales. The Welsh Government are still asking that we only go outside for essential purposes. Remember to stay at least 2 metres away from anyone outside of your home and wash your hands as soon and often as you can. You can exercise outside more than once, but you still cannot travel to take exercise. The police are working hard to ensure that we all remain safe during this difficult time, but they are still issuing fines to those who break the lockdown regulations. You can remind yourself of the guidelines here.

I was pleased to be called to speak during the discussions in the House of Commons on the immigration part of the EU Withdrawal Bill this week. I find it extraordinary that even in the midst of this current pandemic, the UK Government still doesn't seem to recognise, or care about, the incredible contribution that so many immigrants are making to this country. Our key workers are caring for our loved ones, keeping our transport services going, and keeping us supplied with essentials - yet, by the UK Government’s own reckoning they are low skilled and therefore low value.  The UK Government is pushing this Bill through when the British public are distracted. They’re hoping we won't heed the concerns of organisations like MacMillan Cancer Support who fear that the UK Government’s plan for a points-based immigration system will have a real detrimental effect on our health and social care system, which, as we’ve seen in recent weeks and months, is already under record pressure. We sometimes forget that the crucial jobs of the health service are not only found inside hospitals – there is care in the community, specialist nurses in different medical centres, and nurses in palliative care homes. We need to ensure that social care workers and nurses are included on the shortage occupation list, exempting them from the visa salary threshold. We must also ensure that everyone already here knows that we value the incredible contribution that they make to our country each and every day.

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and it couldn’t have come at a more important time.  This has been such a difficult and stressful time for so many, with financial fears for the present and the future and the uncertainty of unemployment among those forced into lockdown and unable to work from home. I’ve heard some truly heart-breaking stories from people who’ve had to say goodbye to loved ones over the phone, and had to plan small funerals without the opportunity for friends and family to say goodbye properly.  And then there are our wonderful key workers, those who might have their own fears about catching the virus, but nevertheless are turning up to work each day to keep us fed and cared for.  It must be really hard for children too, forced to stay at home, away from friends and extended family, perhaps feeling anxious about what’s happening in a world they no longer recognise, perhaps not understanding why they have all these restrictions. Now, more than ever, we need to make sure mental health support is properly funded and available to all those who need it, and I was really pleased this week to see the Welsh Government announce £3.75 million of funding for mental health in schools that will include new support for children under the age of 11.  It's so important we continue to invest in mental health support for our young people during these very difficult times.

Last weekend I should have been doing the Moonwalk with a group of friends in support of breast cancer. It’s disappointing, of course, as it’s such a fun event - so we compromised and did a socially distanced walk within the regulations around our beautiful Gower. The Moonwalk raises such a lot of money for an important cause. It’s hard to believe that it started out in 1996 as just 13 women power walking the London Marathon in their bras to raise money and awareness for breast cancer and look at the thriving multi-million charity event it is today! As chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Cancer it’s a really important event for me. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, with about 1 in 8 women diagnosed with it during their lifetime. Happily, there’s a good chance of recovery if it’s detected at an early stage, therefore it’s vital that women check their breasts regularly for any changes and always have any changes examined by a GP. For information on symptoms, see the NHS website here.
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You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

The week started off  with confusion for many as on Sunday night the Prime Minister announced a relaxing of the lockdown restrictions and the hope that people could soon return to work - but these changes only apply to England.  In Wales, the conditions of the lockdown have not changed. We are still asked to only leave our homes for exercise once a day, to go shopping for the essentials, or for a medical need. Otherwise, please stay at home to help protect yourselves and others from this horrible virus.  It is inevitable there will be some confusion with the four home nations now following slightly different paths, but, as always, the Welsh Government has taken a decision in the best interests of the people in Wales.  We must continue to respect the guidance in Wales to support our Welsh NHS and all of our key workers who are all doing an incredible job.

It was International Nurses Day this Tuesday which this year marked the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The day was a fantastic opportunity to say a huge thank you to all the nursing staff up and down the country for their remarkable contribution to the lives of millions of people, but especially now during the coronavirus pandemic. I want to say my own special thanks for the hard work that you are all doing in extremely difficult circumstances.

It was reassuring to hear this week that the Chancellor has extended his furlough scheme by four months until the end of October. Employees on this scheme will be paid 80% of their wages up to £2,500 each month until then, although if the situation with lockdown changes, and people are able to go back to work, then the UK Government are planning to look again at the scheme in August to see whether they can share the cost of employees’ wages with employers. We must ensure that this scheme is in place as long as is necessary to support people and to help employers to protect jobs so that when it is safe to do so, there is employment for people to return to.

For pregnant women, the coronavirus has turned what should have been an incredibly exciting and happy time into one of concern and worry. And in addition to the worry of the impact of the virus on themselves and their baby, many have had the added, unnecessary stress of the reaction of their employer to the pandemic. Some pregnant women have been told - incorrectly - that they either had to take unpaid leave or to go on sick leave. The Equality and Human Rights Commission have reminded organisations across the UK that they may face discrimination claims if they treat pregnant women unfairly during this crisis. They also have provided guidance to employers on their legal obligations which can be found on their website here.

We are currently in week eight of the lockdown and it has been difficult for all of us – the worries about work, not being able to see family and friends, and of course, concerns for the health of our loved ones.  But there are those for whom this is an even more stressful time - and that includes those who rely on food banks to feed themselves and their families.   Our food banks need our help more than ever as they struggle to cope with growing demand and a reduction in donations. Please, continue to make donations at your local supermarket – particularly of toiletries, home cleaning products, snacks and treats, and tinned meat and fish. Thank you to everyone who is working so hard to make sure that families are still able to put food on the table in these difficult times.

The impact of the coronavirus is likely to be felt for a long time to come across all parts of society, even once lockdown is lifted. We heard this week that until a vaccine is developed, it is likely that once rugby begins to be played again, it will do so behind closed doors and certainly without the crowds that our clubs and regions rely on to generate funds. The Welsh Rugby Union is expected to lose millions of pounds of income due to the coronavirus pandemic and that loss of income will have a knock on effect further down the chain.  We must find a way to support our clubs until a vaccine is freely available – the game we love gives us so much, from the enjoyment in watching a match, to the motivation for youngsters to take up the sport and keep fit, to the lifelong friendships we make through the sport.  I’d be very happy to hear from clubs across Gower about the issues they are facing at this time and the best way to tackle them.  Please do get in touch!
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You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

I was pleased this week to sign our Shadow Secretary of State, Nia Griffith’s letter to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask that the payment offered by the Welsh Government to our social care workers on the frontline tackling the coronavirus pandemic is not subject to the usual tax and benefit deductions. This is a small recognition of the value of their work in this incredibly difficult time and they must not be penalised or risk their tax or social security entitlements.  I really hope that the Chancellor and the Secretary of State heed our call and recognise the valuable contribution of these workers.

The UK Government has this week updated the guidance for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and HMRC have begun contacting those eligible for the scheme, which will provide applicants with 80% of their average monthly trading profits, to be capped at £7,500, and which will be paid in a single instalment to cover 3 months.   For more information visit the UK Government pages here and if you get into any difficulty, please contact my office for support.

This pandemic is difficult for us all, but for children who may not fully understand what is happening or why their world has so suddenly shrunk, it will be even more difficult. The Children’s Commissioner for Wales has created an information hub to help answer tricky questions in an honest and appropriate way.  There’s also some great  ideas for things to do at home that will help keep kids occupied or make them laugh during these tricky days. 

Of course, with schools across the country closed to most children, it's even more important to remember that sadly, some children are exposed to or are even victims of domestic abuse in their own homes.  If you are worried about a young person, please do contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

Monday of this week was International Firefighters’ Day, when we remember the bravery and sacrifice of all the firefighters that we have lost in the line of duty. Our firefighters think nothing of rushing into serious danger in order to preserve and protect life when they go to work. Our emergency service workers are incredible, and we must continue to remember those who risk and tragically sometimes lose their lives for the good of others.
On Friday we will mark, albeit in an unusual way, the 75th anniversary of VE Day. Although the bank holiday weekend may not look quite how we expected, it's important for us to take some time to mark this occasion.  Victory in Europe brought nearly six years of fighting on the continent to an end. We must remember the sacrifice of all those involved, and honour their memory today by continuing to stand up for tolerance and against racism and fascism.
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You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, but my staff and I are working from home, and my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

It’s been a very busy week in the new virtual Parliament.  On Monday, I spoke in the debate on the Finance Bill, which was first  brought before the House before the coronavirus pandemic and seems something of an anachronism now!  MPs, as well as the public, want to know how the UK Government plans to transition out of lockdown and what this will mean for businesses so that they can plan for the future – how they will reopen and what guidelines will mean for their business plans.  This must be taken into account in the Bill.  I have been contacted by a number of iconic local businesses, including Castellemare in Mumbles and the King’s Head in Llangennith, who all have serious concerns about their future viability. We understand why lockdown cannot be immediately lifted completely and that there must be some form of social distancing in place to prevent a second spike, but businesses need some clarity about how that future will look.

Of course, in many ways, coronavirus has changed how we see our economy.  I welcome the UK Government’s support for furloughed workers and our key workers, but our amazing key workers receive an hourly pay that is, on average, 8% lower than for other employees. They have selflessly and with unstinting dedication supported and cared for ourselves and our loved ones throughout this pandemic. We must not return to a world where they are, economically, at the bottom of the pile. Some of these key workers are in the vulnerable category but have not been furloughed because their employer is under no obligation to do so. The UK Government needs to clarify guidelines on furloughing key workers to ensure that those who are clinically vulnerable or who are caring for those who are, are able to be furloughed and are not forced to choose between unpaid leave or statutory sick pay.

I had hoped to contribute to the Second Reading of the Domestic Abuse Bill on Tuesday  but unfortunately, due to the time constraints involved with the new socially distanced, virtual Parliament, was unable to do so. This is a crucially important Bill for so many across our community. For those experiencing domestic abuse, the lockdown has proved an incredibly challenging time and it has exposed the weaknesses in our system of support. Refuges have found themselves trying to cope with the increased demand as well as social distancing guidelines, leaving them with too few spaces for all those seeking their help. Calls to helplines across all support services have soared and online traffic to related websites and chat services have also risen dramatically. This Bill must ensure that services are well-funded and linked as a network across the country.  It must also look to protect the children who are seriously affected both by perhaps experiencing direct abuse themselves and by witnessing the abuse of a parent. It must also lead to changes in the criminal justice system where children are not put at risk by family courts demanding the abuser is given unsupervised access to children. This Bill is a huge opportunity, not only for us to send the message loud and clear that abuse is not to be accepted, but also to put in place measures that will protect those who unfortunately fall victim to it.

For so many, the coronavirus pandemic has led to financial insecurity and for some, the necessity of navigating the complexities of the benefits system. It can be incredibly difficult for people to understand what support they qualify for, whether it’s council tax breaks or payments through Universal Credit. Citizens Advice Cymru may have closed their offices due to the social distancing rules but they are still open on the phone and through their website for support. There are specialist advisers available so please do get in touch with them if you need support.  Call 03444 77 20 20 or visit their website here.

In happier news, I’d like to extend my congratulations to the Prime Minister and Carrie Symonds on the birth of their baby boy and wish them all the best, and as much sleep as is possible with a newborn, for the coming months!

You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.

​Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

Parliament resumed this week - albeit somewhat differently to usual - and it was great that Welsh Questions was the first virtual session with MPs asking questions via videolink.  Our new Shadow Welsh Secretary asked the UK Government to ensure that 100% of business interruption loans are underwritten to give our businesses a sense of security during these difficult times. Our small and medium sized enterprises are so important to our local economy and need the UK Government’s support - alongside that announced by the Welsh Government - to get them through this and to ensure that they are able to fully recover once this pandemic is behind us.

It was a great first PMQs for our new Labour leader, Keir Starmer, who took the UK Government to task for their poor handling of PPE supply and distribution.  Keir also tackled the UK Government over the mismatch in their promises of testing numbers and the reality we’re seeing on the ground.

On the subject of PPE, it’s fantastic to see our local community pulling together to support the NHS. The Gower Gin Company are continuing to make their wonderful hand sanitiser (for every £5 bottle bought, one gets donated to the local NHS staff - bestonlinebutcher.co.uk/product/glan-hand-sanitiser/) and Penyrheol D&T Department have produced over 300 face visors for use by local front line workers. The generosity of spirit and innovative minds at work here truly show the best of the Welsh people and I am proud to represent such a fantastic community.

I think I read somewhere this week that this April is one of the warmest we’ve seen and we’ve certainly not had the showers that the month is famous for. Despite the glorious weather outside, we all must remember the social distancing guidelines. I know it’s so difficult not being able to see family and friends in person and just give them a massive hug, but we have to stick to the guidelines to support the NHS and to protect those who are more vulnerable. We will have to continue to embrace the wonders of technology and the internet a little bit longer to virtually cook and eat together, have a chat over a cuppa, and even watch the same TV!

Ramadan began this week and for those observing the holy month, it will be a very different experience. With mosques and community centres closed, Muslims who are used to being together to pray and share food when breaking fast will need to be creative with how they do that. I am confident that communities will weather this challenge and will find new ways of observing this month together.

We marked Earth Day this Wednesday, which, despite the more immediate crisis of the coronavirus pandemic, raises awareness of one of the most serious issues facing the world. There have been reports linking high levels of seriously ill people from coronavirus with cities that have high levels of pollution. More research needs to be done to prove this link, but the links between high levels of pollution and greater incidences of respiratory illnesses such as asthma are well established. Once this pandemic is behind us, we must not let a return to normality be a return to high pollution, high carbon emissions, and little care for our natural environment. This is our only home and we must protect it.

It’s been very concerning to see the high number of grass fires afflicting our local area, with a large area near Fairwood Airport set on fire this week. Arson is a crime. Not only does it put people at risk, but it has a wider impact as the many firefighters needed to bring the blaze under control are then diverted from other emergencies.  During this particularly difficult time, when our emergency services are already swamped with work and are sacrificing so much to look after us and our loved ones, any fires set deliberately show an appalling lack of responsibility and compassion. Anyone with any information on these grass fires is asked to call the Arson Reduction Team on 01792 705130.
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You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page. If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open, my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

This week, the Government has announced that the lockdown will be extended for a further three weeks at a minimum.  I know it's frustrating, but whatever the weather, we all must remember the social distancing guidelines and respect the measures implemented to slow the spread of the coronavirus. By continuing with social distancing, we are supporting our NHS and our key workers who are continuing to work so hard to keep our loved ones safe, our shelves stocked, and our public transport moving.

In order to further support the NHS, I would encourage everyone to download the new NHS app to track and log symptoms of the coronavirus. We’re asking people to take a minute out of each day to track how they feel, even if they’re not experiencing any symptoms. It will help the NHS plan their response across Wales, our scientists to track the coronavirus and highlight high-risk areas, and ultimately help us defeat the spread of the virus.

I’m absolutely thrilled to have been appointed this week as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Jonathan Reynolds MP, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.  This is going to be a particularly important area when we begin to transition out of the lockdown measures and back into ‘real life’. We will need to support the businesses that have had to close, the workers who have been laid-off, and the self-employed who have seen business fall away.  It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m really looking forward to working with the whole team.

There was some welcome news this week as the UK Government announced that the furlough scheme has been extended to include all employees registered on PAYE until 19 March 2020. This will provide some security for many thousands of employees who have been struggling to get by during this difficult time. While there are still issues with the support offered by the UK Government, and too many people still falling through the gaps, I hope this announcement will come as a relief to many of you who were previously missing out.

I spoke last week about the fantastic work that some of our local businesses are doing, among them the Gower Gin Company who have turned their skills to making hand sanitiser and donating bottles to local NHS hospitals. I’ve been so pleased to see the innovation and generosity of spirit that has galvanised our communities, and to have been able to distribute donations of hand sanitiser among our hard-working volunteers in Gower who are out and about, supporting those who are vulnerable in our community.

Swansea Council have also done a brilliant job supporting our volunteers, putting in place local area coordinators who are there to help people who are isolating because they are at a higher risk of illness.  You can find more information about the different local area coordinators and the areas that they cover on the Swansea Council website here.

Unfortunately, there are still a number of unscrupulous employers who are not doing their bit in protecting their employees from the risk of coronavirus. If you are concerned about a lack of PPE, a lack of social distancing in your workplace, or no time or opportunity to regularly wash your hands, you can contact the TUC anonymously here to share your concerns. If employees are unable to work from home, employers should be implementing staggered shifts or changing work patterns, providing the appropriate facilities to allow access to washing facilities and implementing strict cleaning regimes to ensure the safety of all employees. Its up to everyone - including employers - to play their part and help us tackle this challenge.

Tuesday will see Parliament return from the Easter recess - but with some changes to allow for social distancing.  Parliamentary authorities have proposed that around 120 MPs dial in via  Zoom calls to ask questions - with a further 50 allowed to sit in the chamber.  I’m really pleased that we’ll be able to scrutinise the Government while still respecting social distancing.  The new measures shouldn’t mean that Ministers can take decisions without scrutiny, so it's great that MPs will still  be able to debate and discuss the important issues, from PPE provision to domestic abuse.

You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page.

​If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open as my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

As we look ahead to an Easter weekend of glorious sunshine here in beautiful Gower, I know it will be even more frustrating than usual to be stuck inside. But it's vitally important that we continue to obey the rules on social distancing. We have seen over 200 people die in Wales as a result of the coronavirus, among them a dedicated doctor. Each of these people leave behind grieving friends, family and colleagues, and their deaths are a stark reminder to us all of the importance of following the Government guidance which can be found here.

We must do our part to support our fantastic NHS staff and other key workers who are operating under exceedingly difficult circumstances, and we must not forget their dedication, sacrifice, and professionalism when all of this is over. I also want to send my best wishes to the Prime Minister and his family this week - I hope that he gets well very soon.

This week has seen a new chapter begin for the Labour party with Keir Starmer having been elected as its new leader. I look forward to working with him and all his Shadow Cabinet team both to support the Government in the fight against the virus, and to provide an effective opposition to ensure their actions are properly scrutinised. I’m also really pleased to see fellow Welsh MP Nick Thomas-Symonds take on the role of Shadow Home Secretary. I know that he’ll be a brilliant addition to the Shadow Cabinet and his talents will be put to best use!

​We’ve seen a fantastic response from our local community and I’m really proud of the way Gower businesses have stepped up to support the public health campaign against the coronavirus. This week we’ve seen the Gower Gin Company team up with Hugh Phillips Butcher to turn a gin distillery into a production line for hand sanitiser with the butchers providing a delivery service to distribute it. Every £5 bottle will cover the £2.50 cost of making the hand sanitiser and the other £2.50 will see another bottle made and delivered to NHS staff on the frontline. The Glân hand sanitiser is available from bestonlinebutcher.co.uk. Feed the NHS Wales is another fantastic initiative – a collaboration of independent restaurants and food businesses from right across Wales that are providing food and drink to our staff in hospitals. Sian Lloyd and Alun Wyn Jones have set up a crowdfunding page to raise £100,000 to get free food to NHS staff on the frontline. This not-for-profit organisation is being coordinated by our very own Môr Restaurant from the Mumbles, but they are looking for more organisations to participate. If you are able, please do contact hello@mor-mumbles.co.uk or check our @FeedtheNHSWales Facebook.

Our NHS staff have worked admirably throughout this crisis to care for us and our loved ones, and as we have seen from the tragic deaths of nurses and doctors, at considerable personal risk. 13.3% of NHS staff come from overseas, rising to almost 30% of our doctors. This week I signed a letter from Christine Jardine and David Lammy to the Home Secretary asking that indefinite leave to remain be granted to all of our wonderful NHS workers who have contributed so fantastically to our national health service. Whatever immigration system we have in place once we leave the EU, there can be no doubt that these are the sorts of people we want to have as part of our society - people who will step up and put themselves on the line for the protection and care of British citizens. They all deserve our thanks.

I was also pleased to sign a letter this week written by Gill Furness MP to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy Alok Sharma and the Chief Executive of Royal Mail in support of the proposals from the Communication Workers Union to protect Royal Mail staff. They have quite rightly been classed as key workers for their role in delivering not only our post and parcels, but also essential items such as prescription medicine. They must be protected through social distancing in all offices that remain open, personal protective equipment for all staff, and a suspension of non-essential post such as unsolicited flyers. We cannot expect people to go out to work to keep services we need running without protection and I support the CWU’s call completely. You can keep up to date with Welsh Government announcements and information on their dedicated coronavirus page.

If you have any issues or concerns to raise with me as your local MP, please get in touch by emailing tonia.antoniazzi.mp@parliament.uk or calling 01792 899025. My office is not open as my staff and I are working from home, but my email and phone are still being monitored and responded to. You may experience a slight delay in receiving a response from us as the demand has increased, but we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Stay home, keep well, and remember – keep washing your hands!

Books and personal papers belonging to former Gower MP David Rhys Grenfell have been returned to Gower by its current MP, Tonia Antoniazzi, after being found in a charity shop in Carmarthen.

Tonia’s office was contacted after staff at the Tŷ Hafan shop in Greyfriers, Carmarthen spotted that the contents of a suitcase donated to the charity related to the man who represented Gower for 37 years and was ‘Father’ of the House of Commons when he retired in 1959.

Labour Councillor Robert Smith, who has been researching the life of D. R. Grenfell, accompanied Tonia to collect the materials said ‘D. R. Grenfell is one of the forgotten figures of the Welsh Labour movement and deserves far greater recognition for his contribution to Welsh life and for his work internationally’.

The papers include the report of the Royal Commission on Safety in the Mines on which DR served during the mid-1930s. Robert says ‘The disaster at Gresford colliery near Wrexham in 1934 in which 266 men were killed led to the appointment of a Royal Commission to examine what changes were needed to the way mines were regulated.

The legislation that existed at the time had been passed in 1911 and needed to be updated to take account of changes in the way the mines were worked because of mechanisation and other developments in the intervening years.

DR was a member of the Commission and was one of the ones who drafted the report. Although the recommendations were not adopted immediately they formed the basis of the regulations that governed the mining industry in the second half of the twentieth century’.

Robert went on ‘Also of interest is the material which illustrates D.R.’s internationalism. He helped refugees from Austria and Spain in the 1930s and spent several weeks in Prague in the autumn of 1938 -80 years this month in fact- helping thousands refugees who were wanted by the Nazis to escape to Britain’.

Tonia said “This is a fascinating find a real piece of history which tells us more about a forgotten giant of the Labour movement”
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“D.R. Grenfell helped shape modern Britain and these papers will give us a renewed insight into his political work.”

​While reflecting on the return to Parliament after what has been a bruising few months in politics, I must express that I am longing for a change, not just in politics but in the Labour Party.
 
In the early hours of Friday 13th December, I was delighted to win Gower with a majority of just over 1,800 as a Labour Party candidate. A marginal seat since 2015, I was not going to let Gower go without a fight. My work always is and always has been a team effort. We’re not perfect, I’m not perfect but I pride myself on my desire and that of the team around me, to make people’s lives better. We’ve done that thanks to the belief and support of the local Welsh Labour members and the many volunteers who supported me to keep Gower red.
 
Politics is tough, but it shouldn’t be so brutal. At every level, the correct team balance is the fundamental component to achieving success. Over the festive period there has been a fair amount of discussion regarding why Labour lost the General Election, and not all that I’ve read has been a fair reflection or interpretation of the events of December 12th. We need to be honest with ourselves as we analyse where we went wrong. The Labour Party needs to rebuild its broken connection with voters, creating an authentic vision for the future of our UK nations.
 
I believe that everyone should have the potential to live happy, healthy and prosperous lives. Quite simply that’s because as a teacher for over 20 years, it was my raison d’être and it continues to be as a Parliamentarian. I will not stop putting the well-being of the people I represent above all else.
 
We’ve had nearly 10 years of Conservative government and I’ve seen first-hand the damage inflicted by the Tories on the most vulnerable in society. Winning the argument without winning Government will be stark consolation to families who find themselves using foodbanks for the first time, and there will be more of them, if the trend set by the Tories over the last 10 years is anything to go by.
 
We’ve lost four general elections in a row, and as a Party we are at a critical juncture. If we want to win again, we need to look outwards, not inwards, forwards not backwards. The sole reason to look back is to ask ourselves “what can we do to win back the voters who left us in 2017, 2015, and 2010, not just those who left us in December?”.
 
As for our next Labour Leader, it must be someone people can connect to, someone who can rebuild the bonds within our party and extend those bonds outward to the general public. I expect our next leader to give the membership a voice, connect with representatives in our devolved institutions and understand leadership is not a process of command and control, but one of empowerment. We are the party of devolution and our party needs to evolve to better reflect the needs of our local communities.
 
It might not come as a surprise to many of you that in my working life I have not always been the most passive member of staff. I’ve always challenged and critiqued those above and around me because I believed there is always the potential to improve, move forward and deliver better outcomes for those that we taught. However, I have found that being critical of leadership in the Labour Party is often met with disdain and comments such as “don’t forget you only got in on a Labour ticket”, as if I had joined some kind of playground faction who had to play by the rules or be brandished a traitor and called names. Well that isn’t how I work, it isn’t how I’ve worked before I became and MP, and it will never be me.
 
I am going to nominate someone who I believe will allow me to be a voice of challenge on behalf of my constituents, who will listen and respond, agree to disagree and look beyond any argument to create hope for the future. Now is the time to rebuild our relationship with the electorate across the whole of the UK, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England.
 
We need a leader who is authentic, transparent, strong and approachable. An engaging, no nonsense communicator who will not be intimidated by the bullish blustering behaviour of Boris Johnson and his privileged ilk.
 
Let’s not make this an unpleasant back stabbing in-fight. Let’s make this about giving hope for the future, I for one will not participate in any mudslinging, it’s destructive to the Labour Party. “If you don’t like who I like then I don’t like you...” this is not progressive politics and I won’t play any part in it.
 
All candidates deserve due consideration, and I am proud to be nominating Jess Phillips as I wholeheartedly believe she is the right person for the job right now. If you don’t like that, then let’s agree to disagree and remember why many of us are in the Labour Party, because nobody is better than us and everyone matters. We must without fear nor favour speak truth to win power.