April 2026 Newsletter

We suffered a devastating defeat on Thursday last week. It is difficult to believe that Eluned Morgan lost her seat, after so many years of exceptional service to our county and our country. We also failed to see Marc Tierney and Josh Phillips elected, both of whom would have made fantastic representatives of our community in the Senedd.

It was a dark day for the Labour Party. But despite this result, I am resolute that we can recover if we remain true to the priorities of the people of Pembrokeshire. Eluned was right in her speech after the result that our values of fairness, solidarity and community are needed, and we must hold onto them in the difficult times ahead.

In April I have continued to focus on the issues that matter most to you, from jobs and mobile connectivity, to water, national security, and knife crime.

As always, I have been representing Pembrokeshire in Parliament, taking your concerns directly to government and making sure the county’s interests are heard at the highest level.

In Pembrokeshire, I attended some great local events, visited some of the county’s fantastic businesses, and met with lots of constituents to hear about the issues affecting them and their community. Please get in touch if there is anything my team and I could be helping you with.

Best wishes,

Henry

In The Community

Pride in Place Funding for our Communities

This UK Labour Government is investing £1.5 million in Pembrokeshire over 2 years through the Pride in Place Impact Fund. After weeks of hearing from residents about what matters most to them and their communities, the council have recommended 18 projects for the first wave of funding.

From village halls and sports clubs, to community centres and local shops - this funding will help regenerate these community spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an application. There were so many brilliant ideas, all of them a real testament to the community spirit of our county.

Supporting Jobs in Pembrokeshire

Making sure that local people can access good, well-paid jobs is a top priority for me as your MP. So, I am really pleased that this UK Labour Government is guaranteeing jobs for young people in Pembrokeshire.

They will soon begin the first phase of their Jobs Guarantee Programme, which will support 18-21-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months into six months of fully funded paid work. Later this year, the programme will be extended to include all eligible 18-24-year-olds.

The UK Labour Government is also investing a further £2 million in helping people in Pembrokeshire overcome the initial barriers to finding work, and supporting them to stay and thrive in their job.

It is so important that there are opportunities right here in our county for our young people to learn, work, and thrive. I will keep working with the government to make this a reality.

Visit to Folly Farm

I was lucky enough to visit Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo last month. It was a great opportunity to congratulate them on winning second place at the Great British Wildlife Restoration Awards.

It was fantastic to see their outstanding conservation work first-hand, especially the Hafod Yr Adar project which creates a safe haven for red-listed migratory birds.

A visit to this local treasure wouldn’t have been complete without meeting the famous Rhodri the rhino!

I would highly recommend a visit to Folly Farm, and look forward to returning very soon. In the meantime, I will continue to do all I can to support conservation in Parliament.

Improving Mobile Connectivity in Tenby

Improving mobile coverage in Tenby is a priority for me. I know from speaking to constituents the impact that limited signal is having on residents and local businesses, particularly during the busier spring and summer months when tourists flock to our beautiful county.

In April, I wrote to network providers EE, BT, Vodafone and O2, pushing them to take urgent action to address this problem. It is crucial that local people and visitors can stay connected when they are in Tenby.

I will keep holding those responsible for this to account, and keep you updated on my progress.

Cracking Down on Knife Crime

I know that recent events have caused real concern about knife crime in our county.

In April, the UK Government took measures to directly tackle knife crime. I supported its Crime and Policing Bill which will give the police new powers to seize knives, help stop retailers selling knives to anyone under 18, and introduce tougher sentencing powers to deter offenders.

I will continue to take your concerns directly to government, and work closely with Dyfed Powys Police, to ensure everyone in Pembrokeshire feels safe in their community.

Landing Craft Memorial

We honoured the sailors and Royal Marines who lost their lives in the 1943 landing craft tragedy off our Pembrokeshire coast. I attended a very moving service at Freshwater West, where we paid tribute to their courage and sacrifice. Thank you so much to the organisers.

The memory of these brave service personnel lives on and will never be forgotten.

Pembrokeshire’s Produce

I met with Huw Thomas from Puffin Produce – a brilliant local company who has been bringing some of Wales’ finest produce to kitchen tables across the country since the 1970s, from the unbeatable Pembrokeshire Earlies to the UK’s first carbon-neutral potatoes, Root Zero.

It was fascinating to hear about their innovative work with methanol technology, and Huw’s vision for cutting emissions in heavy haulage.

As we transition to a cleaner future, I will continue to champion Pembrokeshire as a hub for green innovation, and prioritise keeping jobs, industry, and investment right here in our county.

Protecting the Climate and Nature

Thank you to Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth for having me along to their recent event. We discussed how the climate and nature crisis is affecting everyday life in Pembrokeshire and across Britain.

We also watched a documentary which set out the risks if we do not act and rise to the challenge of the climate emergency and some of the positive responses available to us.

Whether by holding water companies to account, tackling fly tipping, or backing clean energy, I am committed to ensuring both our communities and our natural environment can flourish.

In Parliament

Banning social media for under-16s

In April, I continued to make the case for banning social media for under-16s.

From speaking to parents, teachers, and carers across Pembrokeshire, it is clear that addictive social media platforms are harming children’s mental health and wellbeing, and impacting their ability to concentrate and learn.

Recent tragic events in our community are further evidence of the need to take action and protect our children from the harmful effects of these platforms and the content they push.

I will continue to engage with schools and parents locally about this issue, and work with colleagues in Parliament to ensure that our children are protected online.

Cleaning up our water sector

It is no secret that water companies have been failing their customers. In my role on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee I have continued to demand that executives take responsibility for these failures.

The Chair and Chief Executive of South East Water (SEW) Chris Train and David Hinton both resigned following our committee’s latest report detailing SEW’s dire performance, a failure of leadership and a lack of accountability.

Welsh Water were also in the High Court, answering for their pollution of the River Wye.

These are steps in the right direction, but there is still more to be done. In Pembrokeshire, we are still living with the consequences of Welsh Water’s poor environmental performance and lack of investment in key infrastructure.

I will continue to work with residents, local organisations, and the government until water companies are held to account and we have a water sector that delivers for people and the environment.

Carbon, Capture, Usage, and Storage (CCUS)

I attended a roundtable in Parliament with colleagues and industry representatives to discuss the opportunities and challenges of implementing CCUS to help our key industries decarbonise.

I will continue to work with government to make sure that existing jobs and industries in Pembrokeshire are protected, and supported in the transition to a cleaner future.

Conflict in the Gulf and National Security

Our Government has been leading efforts to de-escalate the conflict in the Middle East. In April, the Secretary of State for Defence hosted military planners from 44 other nations in a multinational defensive mission to make the Strait of Hormuz safe again for commercial shipping. This is crucial in protecting the UK’s energy and economic security, and minimising the impact of this conflict.

I will continue to support the Government in its efforts to bring stability to the region, protect our national security, and protect consumers from price rises.

I spoke on the BBC about the impact the conflict is having on farmers in Pembrokeshire, due to rising fuel and fertiliser costs. The government has already provided targeted support for rural communities reliant on heating oil, and as a member of the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Select Committee I am monitoring this situation closely to ensure that our farmers get the support they need, protecting them and our food security.

I also attended a roundtable with colleagues and industry to discuss how we can make sure that this Government’s record investment in defence grows our domestic supply chain, bringing jobs and investment to Pembrokeshire.