Latest news with #Andrew.Ranger.mp
Leader Live
4 days ago
- Politics
- Leader Live
MP for Wrexham speaks out on pressures facing HMP Berwyn
MP for Wrexham Last week, along with colleagues on the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, we took evidence from a number of witnesses for our enquiry into Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in Wales. As MP for the constituency with the largest prison in the UK, HMP Berwyn, this session was particularly relevant to our area. I also wanted to hear the experiences of those representing people working in the prison and probation services. Berwyn faces pressures as it is increasingly being used to house the remand population from North-West England. The dynamics at Berwyn alongside its size is very different to jails like Swansea or Cardiff that tend to house inmates who are more local to the area. Furthermore, there have also been staffing challenges at Berwyn however recently the staffing levels have come close to a full complement. The importance of staffing and leadership was emphasised at all prisons. High recall rates in Wales are also putting pressure on the prison and probation services. There is no women's prison in Wales and we heard about the impact of this on women and their families. Welsh women are held in prisons in England, often meaning significant journeys for relatives wanting to visit them. Women from Wrexham for example, might be taken to HMP Styal near Manchester. A report entitled 'Time to Care' emphasised the importance of keeping close ties with families to support. Following on from this, I welcome the Justice Secretary's announcement on Thursday that the Government will take the recommendations of the Gauke report and introduce a presumption against custodial sentences of less than a year. As 77% of women sentenced to custody received a sentence of 12 months or less, this change should have a significant aspect on women. Having spoken to organisations working in our community like the Wallich and NACRO, I understand the issues around homelessness and reoffending and I am looking to work with them to see how we can strengthen prevention and rehabilitation efforts. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
27-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Wrexham MP welcomes UK Government's trade deal with the EU
MP for Wrexham I welcome the UK Government's trade deal with the EU as announced last week. The EU is our biggest trading partner, and this deal helps to right the many wrongs of the previous government. When Labour was elected, we said that we would reduce barriers to trade and economic growth, and we meant it. The UK Government is respecting the decision made by the British people in 2016 and whilst there is no return to the EU, this deal make things easier for businesses as well as people in day-to-day life. Before I was elected as MP for Wrexham, and since, different businesses both large and small, locally and regionally, have told me time and time again how the Conservative Government's Brexit deal had made their daily experience as a business more challenging: more expensive, more difficult, more barriers, higher costs. This had led to some being forced to close due to the higher costs and increased bureaucracy. We have all seen the impact on our own pockets with food prices rising and hospitality businesses struggling as well as those who previously exported to the EU. The deal includes: · Making it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing the red tape. This agreement will have no time limit, giving vital certainty to businesses. · Some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely. · Closer co-operation on emissions through linking our respective Emissions Trading System. · British steel exports are protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs, through a bespoke arrangement for the UK. · British holidaymakers will be able to use more eGates in Europe. · Introduction of 'pet passports' for UK cats and dogs. · The EU-UK security and defence partnership means that British firms will be treated as European, so can benefit from defence procurement. I welcome the agreement to explore access to Erasmus + as well as a Youth Mobility scheme; it is important that young people have access to opportunities that previous generations enjoyed and were denied to them for too long. Co-operation on defence is also part of the deal. The EU and the UK share the same challenging security environment, and both have vital interests in the peace, security and stability of Europe and beyond. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
27-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Wrexham MP Andrew Ranger welcomes UK Government's trade deal with the EU
MP for Wrexham I welcome the UK Government's trade deal with the EU as announced last week. The EU is our biggest trading partner, and this deal helps to right the many wrongs of the previous government. When Labour was elected, we said that we would reduce barriers to trade and economic growth, and we meant it. The UK Government is respecting the decision made by the British people in 2016 and whilst there is no return to the EU, this deal make things easier for businesses as well as people in day-to-day life. Before I was elected as MP for Wrexham, and since, different businesses both large and small, locally and regionally, have told me time and time again how the Conservative Government's Brexit deal had made their daily experience as a business more challenging: more expensive, more difficult, more barriers, higher costs. This had led to some being forced to close due to the higher costs and increased bureaucracy. We have all seen the impact on our own pockets with food prices rising and hospitality businesses struggling as well as those who previously exported to the EU. The deal includes: · Making it easier for food and drink to be imported and exported by reducing the red tape. This agreement will have no time limit, giving vital certainty to businesses. · Some routine checks on animal and plant products will be removed completely. · Closer co-operation on emissions through linking our respective Emissions Trading System. · British steel exports are protected from new EU rules and restrictive tariffs, through a bespoke arrangement for the UK. · British holidaymakers will be able to use more eGates in Europe. · Introduction of 'pet passports' for UK cats and dogs. · The EU-UK security and defence partnership means that British firms will be treated as European, so can benefit from defence procurement. I welcome the agreement to explore access to Erasmus + as well as a Youth Mobility scheme; it is important that young people have access to opportunities that previous generations enjoyed and were denied to them for too long. Co-operation on defence is also part of the deal. The EU and the UK share the same challenging security environment, and both have vital interests in the peace, security and stability of Europe and beyond. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
13-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
MP Andrew Ranger writes about Mental Health Awareness Week
Communities are vital for our mental health and our wellbeing. They provide connections, support a sense of belonging and purpose. It's estimated that around one in four people will experience a mental health issue at some point in their life. Mental Health Awareness Week encourages open conversations, reducing stigma so that we can share stories, and advocate for better mental health support. The charity Mind is using the tagline "no mind left behind" to reflect the idea that our mental health is also our physical health, finances and relationships. The BBC reported last month that NHS Wales 111 "press two" mental health urgent support line has recorded an average of 5,969 calls each month. Furthermore, the Welsh Government's 10-year Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy focuses on early intervention to avoid crises, preventative care and greater social prescribing which connects people to community-based activities. The idea is that support would be given over the phone, at a GP surgery or local mental health service, who would then find appropriate help. In Wrexham, the Rainbow Centre, for example, is part of the Wrexham-wide Social Prescribing Service, which is based in GP surgeries across our area and provides a range of options for service users including talking therapy and referrals to other agencies as well as identifying opportunities for clients to connect and engage with their own communities. In fact, the Rainbow Foundation won the title of Best Mental Health Support Service at the Mental Health and Wellbeing Wales Awards in March. This is an incredible achievement and I look forward to visiting the Rainbow Centre later this month. If you are registered with a GP surgery and are over 18, you can ask to be referred to the Social Prescribing Link Worker. As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
Leader Live
06-05-2025
- General
- Leader Live
Andrew Ranger MP shares Wrexham's plans for VE Day
MP for Wrexham This year marks the 80th Anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day with plans to commemorate this across the country and here in Wrexham. The 8th May will begin with a service at St Giles Church followed by a parade through the centre of Wrexham, led by RWF Volunteer Corps of Drums when the Standards will be paraded by different military associations. This will culminate in a wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial on Bodhyfryd as Wrexham pays tribute to this incredible generation who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. As always, Wrexham will play its part in these national commemorations, mindful of the role played by servicemen and women from our area and given our proud connection with the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. VE Day on 8th May 1945 was a national holiday and events were organised to mark the occasion including services, street parties and parades. Winston Churchill addressed the nation on the radio and appeared on the balcony of the Ministry of Health in London. However, the war was not over as fighting in the Far East against Japan continued until August 1945. Of course, the celebrations took place in the shadow of the deaths and casualties that many families had experienced, alongside the strain of wartime life: air raids, rationing and other restrictions. The Imperial War Museum is looking for letters or postcards sent by your family members during the Second World War to their loved ones. This could include soldiers on the front line; men, women and children on the home front; or relatives who contributed to Britain's war effort from Britain and Commonwealth countries. You can share any examples via the special website As ever, if you have any queries or concerns or you have an issue that you would like me to try and assist you with, please do not hesitate to contact me on 01978 788854 or
