Catherine Fookes MP on Monmouthshire and Westminster

South Wales Argus

2 days ago

From day one, I've aimed to be present across Monmouthshire and as accessible as possible – listening to residents at public events, surgeries, and on the doorstep.
Over the past 12 months, I've attended more than 140 visits and meetings across the constituency, hosted at least 20 surgeries, and responded to more than 9,000 resident queries.
My brilliant casework team and I have supported people through housing issues, benefit issues, and more - resolving more than 1,000 individual cases!
But being your MP isn't just about being visible locally – it's also about standing up for Monmouthshire in Westminster.
One of the biggest concerns raised with me is river pollution. I've made this a top priority – securing £1 million to clean up the River Wye, organising the first ever cross-border meeting on the issue, and lobbying both the Prime Minister and key ministers. I also helped develop and pass a new law banning bonuses for water polluters – a major step forward in protecting our rivers.
I've also worked with Monmouthshire County Council to help secure £1 million to fix Inglis Bridge in Monmouth – raising it in Parliament and meeting directly with the defence minister to push for funding.
And I continue to campaign for Magor Walkway Station, working alongside the Magor Rail Group and local Labour councillors to ensure that some of the £445 million in new South Wales rail investment comes to Monmouthshire.
In Parliament, I've spoken up more than 100 times on issues raised by constituents – including crime, violence against women, transport, broadband, the UK-EU relationship, Gaza, and protecting creative industries from AI.
I'm working hard to make sure Monmouthshire's voice is heard.
Nationally, I'm proud to see the largest financial settlement for Wales since devolution – £22.4 billion – thanks to Labour Governments in both Westminster and Cardiff.
We're already seeing the impact through new rail funding, reduced NHS waiting lists, and a pay rise for 150,000 workers across Wales.
I know there's still so much more to do, but I'm just getting started.
So what's next? After a year of listening and learning, I want to share just some of the key priorities I'll be focused on as your MP.
Local economy and transport
Growing Monmouthshire's economy is a top priority, and improving public transport is key.
I'll continue campaigning to make Magor Walkway Station a reality – helping ease congestion on the M4, offering greener travel, and supporting local jobs.
I'll also continue working to improve mobile signal and create more high-quality jobs – especially in our rural communities.
Cleaning up our rivers
Across Monmouthshire, one of the biggest issues people care about is river pollution – something I've heard through emails, doorstep conversations, and my recent constituency-wide survey.
We all want our rivers back, and we're not asking for much – just clean, swimmable water and thriving wildlife, not sewage spills and excuses.
I welcome the UK Government's announcement of the biggest reforms in a generation to the water sector – including over £100 billion of investment and the scrapping of Ofwat, to be replaced with a new single powerful regulator intended to deliver tougher enforcement and greater accountability, as well as a new Water Ombudsman.
However, I know there's still so much more to do. I'll keep pressing both UK and Welsh Government for serious action to clean up our rivers for good.
Tackling violence and crime
As a member of the Women and Equalities Committee, I remain focused on tackling violence against women and girls – particularly financial abuse through the Child Maintenance Service.
I'll keep pushing the Government to meet its target of halving violence against women, and for more police officers on streets all over Monmouthshire to help tackle anti-social behaviour and keep residents safe.
Being visible and accessible
And of course, one of my top priorities is to be as accessible as possible – out in the community, working on the issues that matter to you, not tied up in Westminster.
I want to help as many of you as possible, to listen to your issues, understand how I can help, and do everything I can to improve your lives.
I became an MP to help people in my community – and that's exactly what I aim to do.
I'll always be here to listen, take action, and keep fighting for Monmouthshire every single day.
If you need my help, please get in touch via [e-mail] or call 01291 200 139.