It was brilliant to join the army of torchbearers to follow in the footsteps of the Chartists this past weekend as part of the annual celebration of the Chartist Uprising in Newport.

The weekend was packed with events, including the Chartist Convention at Newport Cathedral, a book fair, live music, family events, talks, and much more.

Tonight, I won’t be at the cathedral for the sunset service commemorating the Chartists who were killed in the uprising, but I will be in Parliament, leading an adjournment debate in the House of Commons on the Chartists and their impact on modern-day democracy.

The debate will be available on my website in the next few days. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about the Chartist history of Newport, please pop into the Rising Hub on Commercial Street, open Wednesday to Saturday each week.

Diolch to everyone involved in pulling together the Newport Rising festival – this year’s was especially excellent and a brilliant tribute to the Chartists on the 185th anniversary of the Newport Uprising.

I’ve been excited to see the plans for Christmas in the city centre unfold. The ice rink, market, and lights switch-on event will be epic additions to the wonderful collection of independent retailers in the city centre in the run-up to Christmas.

It’s also been good to hear from city centre retailers about how they’re feeling the impact of efforts to make the city centre a safer, more enjoyable place to be. The 25% reduction in crime is something to be applauded. Well done to the police, the BID, and Newport City Council.

The issues you bring to me are the issues I raise in Parliament, either in the Chamber, in writing, or directly with Ministers. Recently, I caught up with Alex Davies-Jones MP to raise issues brought to me by residents around access to support services for victims who don’t wish to report a crime to the police. It was a valuable opportunity to offer the perspective of residents with lived experience, and I know Alex will keep this in mind when it comes to making decisions or communicating with police.

Last week in Parliament, the Chancellor presented the first financial update of the new Labour government. Increases in the National Living Wage, a cut in beer duty, a freeze on fuel duty, and a promise kept of no rises in National Insurance, income tax, and VAT will all help households in Newport East. There was also good news for Wales, with an increase in the funding headed to the Welsh Government from Westminster, including additional support for the NHS.

If you have any questions about the budget, or if you’d like to raise other issues with me, please get in touch. You can contact my office on 01633 841 725 or email me at jessica.morden.mp@parliament.uk. There’s also a contact form on my website at jessicamorden.com.

Just before the half-term break, I – along with Jayne Bryant – had the pleasure of joining the brilliant young people from Newport Youth Academy for a Hope Walk around the gardens of Tredegar House. The walk, organised by Papyrus, aimed to raise awareness of suicide prevention among teenagers.

We were also joined by the incredible Emma Webb who, since losing her 16-year-old daughter in 2020, has dedicated her life to raising awareness of mental health issues in young people. We all took questions from the young people on looking after our mental health and asking for help.

It was a fantastic way to spend a Friday afternoon and reminded me again of how important it is to ensure everyone feels comfortable speaking up when they’re not feeling 100%.

If you’re worried about your mental health or need someone to talk to, there’s always someone on the end of the phone – you’re not alone.

You can call 111 and press option 2 for 24/7 mental health help, support, and guidance. For young people, Papyrus’ Hopeline is available 24/7 at 0800 068 41 41. They also have a webchat and text service, which can be accessed by texting 88247.

Jessica Morden is MP for Newport East