THIS will be my last column before the dissolution of Parliament next week, ahead of the snap General Election on June 8.

I will be proud to stand on my record as your local Welsh Labour and Co-operative MP for Cardiff South and Penarth – and I will be standing up for a fair deal for Wales together with First Minister Carwyn Jones, our local AM Vaughan Gething, and our local teams.

I was born and brought up in Cardiff and the Vale and live locally.

I know our local people and our local challenges – and at a time of great uncertainty and risk, it’s crucial that this constituency has someone who understands Penarth and Cardiff.

Since being elected I have delivered on my promises and have helped thousands of local people with their problems, worked with Vaughan and local councillors to deliver new local schools and health facilities in contrast to Tory privatisation and cuts in England, opposed the bedroom tax, cuts to tax credits and to disability allowances, opposed Tory police cuts and fought drugs and extremism, supported local business from our steel and creative industries to our high streets, fought for workers being treated unfairly, from taxi drivers to care workers, taken up the case of women and other pensioners denied justice, stood up for community services for the elderly, young people and veterans. fought for a fair deal for Wales on funding and access to the single market, stood up for human rights and for action on climate change and poverty

The Tories continue to prioritise those at the top with unfair tax cuts, leaving working families and the vulnerable worse off, and wanted to hit the self-employed with tax increases.

They have failed pensioners, young people and the low paid, and have abandoned the fight against climate change.

I am proud to be part of a distinct Welsh Labour team that is standing up for a fair deal for Penarth, the Vale, Cardiff and Wales as a whole: more investment in our schools and hospitals; building new homes; support for apprentices; more PCSOs to lessen the blow of Tory police cuts; and promoting Wales as a great place to do business despite the Tories’ hard and reckless approach to Brexit – which I have and will continue to challenge in the strongest possible terms.