Skewen Floods – BEIS Questions

09 Feb 2021

Today I called on the UK government to come to the aid of the victims of the flooding in Skewen by offering to fill gaps not covered by insurance, as well as provide financial support to those not insured. The Minister pledged to come to Skewen to witness first hand…

Read more →

National Security And Investment Bill

20 Jan 2021

It is always a pleasure to follow the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, who is doing sterling work in an area of increasing concern to this House and our country; the impact of hostile state actors plays an increasingly important part in how we think about our country’s place…

Read more →

If ‘Global Britain’ is to mean anything then our country must have the moral authority to lead by example

19 Jan 2021

If ‘Global Britain’ is to mean anything then our country must have the moral authority to lead by example. It is therefore extraordinary that in the UK parliament on Tuesday the Tory government rejected an amendment to the Trade Deal which would prevent the UK from doing trade deals with…

Read more →

No-One Should Be Penalised For Having Children

11 Jan 2021

The self-employed have been consistently let down by this government during the last year, particularly those who were on maternity or parental leave shortly before the pandemic. They feel they have faced discrimination and red tape when accessing financial support. No-one should be penalised for having children. I’m not convinced…

Read more →

Future Relationship With European Union Committee

17 Dec 2020

Stephen Kinnock: Thank you very much, Mr Gove, and thanks also to colleagues. The Government’s own reasonable worst-case scenario published back in September said that 40% to 70% of trucks travelling to the EU would not be ready for new border controls and that, “This could lead to…queues of up…

Read more →

Fire And Rehire

15 Dec 2020

GMB, Unite, UNISON and other trade unions are fighting for workers who are being fired and then rehired on worse conditions. I asked what the UK government is doing to ensure national flagship companies such as British Gas are negotiating in good faith with workers, and not imposing unacceptable practices…

Read more →

We Need Our Steel Industry

18 Nov 2020

In Welsh questions, with the PM watching on, I asked why the UK government has done so little to support our steel industry through Covid. Steel will provide the foundations of our economic recovery, yet our biggest steel employer is yet to receive a penny of UK government support. Stephen…

Read more →

Future Relationship with the European Union Committee

18 Nov 2020

Stephen Kinnock: Thank you very much to all of our witnesses today for some very useful and very sobering analysis of the situation that you find yourselves in. I wanted to first focus on this issue of composite loads. Clearly one of the big questions is how you identify what…

Read more →

National Security And Investment Bill Is A Big Missed Opportunity To Strengthen The UK’s Wider Industrial Strategy

17 Nov 2020

For nine years Labour has called for tighter controls on hostile foreign takeovers of British businesses. The National Security and Investment Bill is good for national security, but should also protect vulnerable firms weakened by Covid. The Bill is a big missed opportunity to strengthen the UK’s wider industrial strategy…

Read more →

Committee on the Future Relationship with the European Union

11 Nov 2020

Stephen Kinnock: Many thanks to our witnesses for some really interesting and informative evidence today. I want to focus on the issue of the Kent access permit and get a sense of a few aspects of this around how it would work in practice and around enforcement. This Smart Freight…

Read more →

Furlough Must Be Fair For All

04 Nov 2020

When Wales went into its firebreak the Chancellor Rishi Sunak refused to extend the furlough scheme, but that changed when the second wave hit London and the south-east. Furlough must be fair for all. “Levelling up” also needs to have substance: a modern manufacturing renaissance, with steel at the heart.…

Read more →

We Have Seen Some Inspiring Examples In All Our Local Communities

21 Oct 2020

During a Westminster Hall debate on Covid-19 Support For People And Businesses In Wales, I paid tribute to the amazing response in Aberavon to the crisis and said in supporting UK businesses through Covid-19 the UK government must have an eye on long-term resilience: Back manufacturing & steel to boost…

Read more →

One Of The Most Valuable Tools That We Have In Tackling Racial Injustice Is Education

20 Oct 2020

During the Black History Month debate in Parliament I paid tribute to contribution of black people in UK including Aberavon’s Lennard Lawrence. Education is critical to building a more inclusive society and Race Council Wales’ Black History Cymru 365, backed by the Welsh Government, is vital. My speech: It is…

Read more →

Many Of My Constituents Have Been Badly Let Down By The Cracks In Government Schemes

14 Oct 2020

The Chancellor has had 7 months to create a robust Covid support scheme, yet many people in Aberavon are still falling through the gaps. I urged the UK government to heed Labour’s call for a Job Recovery Scheme that protects jobs and prevents people slipping into poverty. My speech: The…

Read more →

Fire and Rehire: What Steps Are The Government Taking To Tackle This Completely Unacceptable Practice

13 Oct 2020

My Aberavon constituents are increasingly concerned about the practice of ‘fire and rehire’, where employers use Covid as a cover to sack employees and then rehire them on inferior terms. I asked the minister what steps he is taking to tackle this unacceptable practice. Stephen Kinnock: My Aberavon constituents are…

Read more →

Future Relationship with the European Union Committee Meeting

30 Sep 2020

Stephen Kinnock: Many thanks to our witnesses for really useful and informative presentations. I wanted to ask a couple of questions about the role of various EU institutions in this, focusing specifically on the agencies and then on the European Court of Justice. Regarding the agencies, could all three of…

Read more →

Internal Market Bill Is Fundamentally Flawed

29 Sep 2020

In Parliament I stood up for the UK’s global reputation, and for Welsh devolution in the debate on the Internal Market Bill. I warned of Tory plans to channel the Shared Prosperity Fund (former EU cash) direct to Tory seats – pork-barrel politics at its worst! Here is my speech:…

Read more →

Israel-Palestine conflict must be seen through prism of securing peace, justice & security for all

24 Sep 2020

I led a debate on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and set out why the Trump plan is not a basis for peace and security in the region. The UK government must: 1. Recognise annexation IS continuing; thousand more settlements 2. Take Trump Plan off table (breaks international law) 3. Recognise…

Read more →

Future Relationship With The EU Committee – Internal Markets Bill

23 Sep 2020

Stephen Kinnock: I have a question about the role of the European Parliament in all of this. On 11 September, the European Parliament issued a pretty unequivocal statement saying that the provisions in the UK Internal Market Bill that seek to override the legally binding withdrawal agreement were a breach…

Read more →

Holidays And Local Lockdowns

20 Sep 2020

A number of constituents have contacted me about holidays they are no longer able to take because of the local lockdown restrictions and some travel companies and insurers are refusing to give refunds or pay out. I was therefore please to join with colleagues in sending this letter to the…

Read more →

Steel Adjournment Debate

14 Sep 2020

My colleague Jessica Morden MP secured an Adjournment Debate in the House on the steel industry. During the debate I raised the issue of unlocking the stalemate around the trade defence measures and the critical role Tata steel will play in the future of our manufacturing sector. I also reminded…

Read more →