Jo Stevens – 2024 Speech at Labour Party Conference

The speech made by Jo Stevens, the Secretary of State for Wales, on 23 September 2024.

Thank you.

Conference – it’s a huge privilege to address you for the first time as the Secretary of State for Wales.

And, as the first woman to be Labour Secretary of State for Wales.

I’m so proud to be working alongside my friends and colleagues, Eluned Morgan and Dame Nia Griffith, in a new era for Welsh Labour and for women’s representation at the top of Welsh politics.

We earned a resounding mandate at the General Election.

27 of 32 Members of Parliament in Wales are now Labour MPs.

And there’s not a single Tory MP left in Wales.

That result is in large part because of the dedication of members, volunteers, trade union friends and Party staff, in this room and across the country.

So I want to say, thank you for pounding those pavements, for every door you knocked and every conversation you had.

You have helped deliver on the once in a generation opportunity to have two Labour governments at both ends of the M4, working together to deliver on the priorities of people across Wales with a mission-driven government.

But with that special opportunity comes a huge responsibility to deliver, and to do so quickly.

And that’s what I want to talk about today.

Because, Conference, the inheritance the Conservatives left us is worse than we could have imagined.

A £22bn black hole in the public finances just for this financial year.

Pie in the sky commitments that the Tories made to the people across Wales with no money to pay for them.

A toxic legacy of distrust between both governments.

And a Wales Office that had been deliberately led to by-pass Welsh government.

But even in those difficult circumstances we’ve already found ways to demonstrate the difference two Labour governments can make.

We’ve fundamentally reset the relationship between the UK government and Welsh government.

Eluned and I are forging a new partnership based on respect, cooperation and delivery.

We’re securing a sustainable future for steel in Wales – the lifeblood of so many in our communities.

In just ten weeks this new Labour government negotiated a better deal with Tata that:

• secures the immediate future of Port Talbot
• lays the foundations for future investment
• and enhances protections for the workforce in Port Talbot, Llanwern, Trostre and Shotton

But I’m all too aware it remains a difficult time for affected workers, their families and our steel communities.

Under the Conservative government, not a single penny of the money promised to support our steel communities went out the door.

Just a month after taking office, I was proud to announce the release of £13.5m in support.

We’re putting a safety net in place because this Labour government will always back workers and businesses, whatever happens.

Working with Transport Secretary Ken Skates, we’ve announced we will boost the number of trains running on the North Wales mainline by 50%.

That will be a key improvement passengers will see on the platforms – not some half-baked promise that never leaves the station.

We’ve established the publicly owned GB Energy – which will supercharge the strides the Welsh Government has already made.

Our investment will unleash the potential we have for clean power in Wales. From new nuclear in Ynys Mon, to Floating Offshore Wind in the Celtic Sea and development of ports at Milford Haven, Port Talbot and across south Wales.

We will seize the golden opportunity of this new industrial revolution for Wales, drive down energy bills for good and place Wales at the forefront of the industries and jobs of the future.

But we know there’s more to do to deliver the positive change in people’s lives we promised.

And that’s why, today, I am proud to announce a new partnership between our two Labour governments, to drive down NHS waiting lists on both sides of the border.

UK government will take inspiration from Wales on dentistry, where reforms have unlocked almost 400,000 appointments in the last two years.

And the Welsh Government will benefit from best practice shared by NHS England, as my colleague Wes Streeting oversees the roll out of new, more productive ways of working across England to deliver 40,000 extra appointments every week.

This is the beginning of a new way of working together that will help improve outcomes in both nations, and deliver on our missions.

And it has only been possible because a changed Wales Office under Labour has a strong voice across government.

I will always be our fiercest advocate in Westminster, leading a recharged Wales Office and a brilliant team of Welsh Labour MPs.

From Penarth to Pembrokeshire to Prestatyn. Reaching into every part of Wales and back across Welsh and UK governments to make sure Wales gets what it needs.

We will deliver on our missions to create wealth from every community for every community.

Because, conference, this job is personal for me.

I was born in Wales.

I grew up in Wales.

And now, as a privileged member of this new Labour government, I’m ready to deliver for Wales.

Thank you very much.