Children's use of social media is the top issue constituents have written to me about this year so far. Today is the last chance to tell the UK Govt what you think should be done. Take my quick survey to have your say: www.torstenbell.org/social-media...

Top bank holiday read for anyone looking for something to hide from the heat with - early Springsteen in novel form

Happy bank holiday everyone

Inflation fell this week but the Iran war is pushing up prices, not least at the pump. So we're stepping in: 🚗 Extending the 5p fuel duty cut until next year 🎪 Supporting summer fun, cutting VAT from 20 to 5% on children’s activities & meals ⚡️ £150 off energy bills since April

Inflation down more than expected. Growth up last week. Borrowing down last year. Investment up. Waiting lists falling. Migration down from record highs. Much more to do, and the conflict in Iran to weather, but real concrete progress is underway www.ons.gov.uk/economy/infl...

In 2025 the UK was the fastest growing European G7 economy. Today the IMF forecast the same to be the case in 2026, with the UK very likely the fastest growing of the whole G7 in the first quarter of the year (Japan data out tomorrow) www.imf.org/en/news/arti...

1 in 3 people born today will develop dementia, and many more will care for someone who has it. A pleasure to visit Sketty's Forget Me Not Club and see the brilliant work being done by Dementia Hwb to support people in Swansea living with the condition, and their carers.

People march for all kinds of reasons - but those leading today’s march hate Britain. Hate our diverse country. Hate even more the fact that far right, bot fuelled clicks on social media are not enough to overcome the reality of a decent tolerant country that knows a racist grifter when they see one

The far right try to claim our flags but in truth hate our country. They despise what makes the rest of us proud & makes us British, from the NHS to our BBC. They peddle anti-British propaganda globally. Thousands may march today but millions more stand against hate & for Britain

The economic plan put in place by Rachel Reeves to raise investment and cut the deficit is working. - start of 2026 was fastest GDP/capita growth in 4yrs - Q1 GDP growth fastest of 6 G7 nations we have data for - UK has seen the fastest investment growth in G7 since election

A very strong start to 2026 -significantly above forecasts. GDP/capita rose 0.6% in first three months of 2026 (OBR expected gdp/capita to grow by 0.8% in 2026 as a whole) www.ons.gov.uk/economy/gros...

Kemi Badenoch - a women who thinks what matters is being rude rather than being right

As polls close, I'm sending out a huge thank you to the brilliant Swansea West Labour team for all the hard work put into this campaign. Hundreds of doors knocked, thousands of votes won. Diolch.

Out in the sun with the brilliant Rob Stewart in Ynysforgan ☀️🌹 Polls are open until 10pm - still plenty of time to vote Labour.

Division with Reform. Distraction with Plaid. Or a better future for Wales delivered by Labour. Don't leave this next chapter to chance. Vote for it.

I'm hosting an emergency meeting on whether children under 16 should be allowed on social media. Come along to hear from experts, share your views, and take part in the ongoing national debate. To reserve a seat, email [email protected] with your name and postcode.

Last chance to grab a ticket to Morriston RFC Male Choir’s 41st Annual Concert before they go! 👉 7-9.30pm on Sat 16 May at The Great Hall www.tickettailor.com/events/morri...

Pontarddulais and Llangyfelach campaigning for top Welsh Labour candidates. Plough and Harrow lunch power-up before this afternoon’s session

There’s no “accused” about it - a politician being handed £5m IS a conflict of interest. Accepting such a gift is an open and shut case of not being interested in, let alone fit for, public service www.ft.com/content/6a56...

Brilliant evening spent with Sketty Cubs last night. - Practicing important outdoor skills (incl. toasting marshmallows) - Answering questions about what it's like to be an MP - Awarding Swansea University student Ruth with a badge to mark 3 years of volunteering with them

“New pensions bill is rare piece of policy gold”. Emma Duncan isn’t wrong www.thetimes.com/article/e6e2...

This is a great job for someone committed to the development of economic history as a field. You'll be part of a large community of scholars based in both history and economics, with a vibrant seminar life and lots of interesting people coming through. And a fellowship in Nuffield to boot.

This one is for the niche audience that wants more charts in politicians’ speeches… offered some reflections on the economic lessons of the shock that we sadly find ourselves in for @ucl.ac.uk inaugural Annual Lecture in Economic Policy. Here's a few highlights. www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...

Appalling attack on Jewish people in London today. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones, and wider Jewish community. Antisemitism has no placed in our society. Jewish people living in London, Swansea, and everywhere else deserve to live in peace and safety.

Post-truth nonsense from Kemi Badenoch at PMQs. Some facts: - employment is up over 800k since the election - employment rate is near the highest on record (look at this chart) - inactivity rates are lower than all but one year under the Tories

Very good news tonight. The Pension Schemes Bill has completed its journey through Parliament. Time to celebrate before the really important work begins - implementing the huge reforms it contains to deliver better pensions for savers

This isn't difficult. If you exploit children, divide communities for political ends, and associate with far right activists, you are a racist. It’s not what you say it’s what you do. www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politic...

This is a big chance to show no part of Swansea can be forgotten. If you want to get involved in spending Swansea’s £20m, put yourself forward for Chair of the Neighbourhood Board or email [email protected] with your ideas.

Parkrun with a (sun drenched) view

Three lessons from the campaign to save the Ospreys: 1️⃣ Hard work will out 2️⃣ People love their region, and they hate a stitch-up 3️⃣ When we stand together, people can move mountains swanseabaynews.com/opinion-a-vi...

Evidence of a strong economic start to 2026 pre-war continues. Retail sales up 1.6% in first quarter of 2026. We’ve now seen a retail recovery consistently for 18 months (context = basically zero growth over the previous parliament)

Today’s public finance data shows: - a big reduction in borrowing last year - ⁠coming in under OBR March forecast - ⁠that the UK, having borrowed more than the G7 average in every year of the Conservative government, borrowed less last year www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

excellent news!

Today is a very good day #OurBloodIsBlack

🚨 This is a huge moment 🚨 The attempt to force the Ospreys out of professional rugby with no proper process been defeated. Fans, and those of us who campaigned relentlessly alongside them against WRU’s chaotic reforms to Welsh rugby, have won a massive victory.

I’m calling an emergency meeting on protecting children online. Consensus is growing that more should be done: I want to make sure people in Swansea are at the forefront of shaping what's next. RSVP to [email protected] with your name and postcode. swanseabaynews.com/swansea-mp-c...

In case you’re confused - the £100k of tax Richard Tice failed to pay here is totally different to the - £92k of tax not properly withheld on dividends - the £600k side-stepped via highly aggressive tax avoidance Industrial scale grifting revealed by @danneidle.bsky.social and Gabriel Pogrund

The Green Party: opposed to… green energy 🤯 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This week’s EGM achieved some of its objectives before it even began – a change of leadership at the WRU. But it did little to deliver a much needed reset in Welsh rugby. Open engagement between the WRU and those making different proposals for the game's future must now be seen.

We’ve got a pensions bill entering its final stages. This is important stuff - one of the big wins of the 20th Century was ordinary workers having a retirement, and we need to keep delivering that in the 21st. What’s the bill doing?

Swansea has been awarded £20m UK Gov funding to revitalise our Gateway Communities. Applications for Independent Chair of the process are now open - fantastic opportunity to have a lasting impact on Brynmelyn, Waun Wen, North Hill, Dyfatty and Hafod. 👇 www.swansea.gov.uk/prideinplace...

(1/5) My message to Welsh Rugby Clubs ahead of tonight, as clubs from every corner of Wales prepare to gather for an EGM.

We already knew Richard Tice aggressively avoided tax. Now we’re told his company just plain failed to pay tax that was legally due. For someone supposedly in public service he goes to extreme lengths to avoid paying his fair share towards public services www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

There was no better way to spend the sun while it lasted than door-knocking in Uplands joined by not one, not two, but THREE brilliant Labour candidates Rebecca Fogarty, Rebecca Francis-Davies and Patience Bentu.

The real headline: crypto crook (who pleaded guilty to breaking US money laundering rules) plans to try and buy UK politics www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...

We're doing what's right for Britain: supporting de-escalation abroad and increasing resilience at home. swanseabaynews.com/opinion-tors...

A great spring evening talking to people in Morriston about Labour's brilliant Gŵyr Abertawe Senedd candidates - including the brilliant Rob Stewart in the flesh.

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter Sunday - in Swansea and beyond.

Kemi Badenoch: “I have made it very clear that the Conservative party stands behind America taking this necessary action”. 2nd March 2026