On 23rd June a majority of people in Llanelli, in common with a majority in Wales and England, voted to leave the EU. We must respect this democratic decision. As a Welsh MP, my immediate priority for Wales is to ensure that the way Wales receives funding from the UK Government is reformed, and that all the money that we currently receive from EU funding is instead allocated directly to us by the UK Government. The EU uses a clear needs-based analysis, so that the least-well off areas like west Wales and the Valleys receive the most, and we need the UK Government to develop a similar strategy, basing the allocation of funding on need
My broader role, as a member of the official opposition in the UK Parliament, is to vote for measures that promote stability in the markets, and to push for Britain to have the best possible terms for our exit from the EU. We must seek workable agreements with the EU that give our manufacturing companies the confidence to remain in the UK, and that is of particular importance to us here in Llanelli, so that we can safeguard jobs. But we must also understand the message of the referendum vote, not only as concern about the EU, but also as people here in Llanelli expressing the feeling that the economy is not working for them. I understand their frustration and sense that our area has been left behind. My priority for Llanelli is to work together with our AM, Lee Waters and people across the constituency on a long-term strategy to improve the economy of our area.