Here in Monmouthshire we are still celebrating the decisive victory of my colleague Catherine Fookes, who romped home in the General Election more than 3,000 votes ahead, overturning the 10,000 vote majority of her Tory opponent in 2019.

She and her team fought an honest, rigorous campaign and she will be a wonderful MP.

We are very lucky to have her, but it was not luck which won her the seat. It was hard work and the right approach and policies.

And as you will have now seen, the priority with which Sir Keir Starmer chose to visit Wales during his very first week as Prime Minister only serves to underline the huge advantage that we will have in the coming months and years as the divisive gulf between Westminster and our own Welsh government is healed at a stroke.

He promised an "immediate reset" of relationships with the devolved nations and we can already see a different approach.

It is grown-up government, an 180-degree change from the petty in-fighting, rule breaking and bad-tempered squabbling of the previous administration.

Already the government in Westminster is starting to work seamlessly with our Senedd which in turn is liaising with my county council and all others in Wales.

And as Sir Keir showed when he met the nation’s city mayors, we work for the common good, putting aside inconsequential differences.

You could have been be forgiven for believing that all politicians were alike. Fourteen years of a self-serving style of government has erased memories of the way in which those you elect should, can and do work for you, not for themselves. Now there is a different feel; public service is put first, second and third.

Decent, joined-up politics will work to bring efficient use of resources, innovative bold policies and honest co-operation. The destructive antics of the last few years are over and in the coming weeks and months we will see the differences that our new government will make, filtering through to the way we can now do our job as a local authority.

There are still huge obstacles to overcome caused by years of austerity, in-fighting and short-term thinking. Like all other local authorities we have had to make harsh budget decisions. And there is no quick fix. Our national economy, stagnant at best, needs nurturing.

But what you cannot have missed is the change of direction, of emphasis, of priority. Now the benefits of shared values and a coherent approach across all parts of public service will come into play and will allow all of us to do more to support your lives in a helpful way.