Warm Words Don’t Pay Bills — Blaenau Gwent Needs Delivery, Not Excuses
The First Minister talks about "delivering," but Blaenau Gwent just lost hundreds of potential jobs. While Cardiff Bay makes speeches, our community is being left behind. We need real investment, not more empty promises!
2/11/20261 min read
Warm Words Don’t Pay Bills — Blaenau Gwent Needs Delivery, Not Excuses
The First Minister says she’ll judge any Prime Minister on “whether they deliver for Wales”. That’s a fair test — but it has to apply to Welsh Labour too. After years of Labour running Wales, people in Blaenau Gwent are entitled to ask a simple question: where are the results?
The reported news that Ciner Glass will not be coming to Blaenau Gwent is exactly the kind of blow that communities like ours cannot keep absorbing — not when families are crying out for decent jobs, stronger local supply chains, and real regeneration.
What I’m doing
- Seeking clarity on what went wrong: I will be asking for a clear, factual explanation of what happened with the Ciner Glass proposal — what commitments were made, what barriers arose, and what could have been done differently.
- Pushing for an urgent “Plan B” for jobs: If that investment is off the table, we need a credible replacement plan now — not in a press release, but in a timetable with priorities for inward investment and support for local employers.
- Backing practical, pro-growth steps locally: I’ll keep pressing for decisions that make Blaenau Gwent easier to invest in — quicker processes, less red tape, and a council that focuses on delivery rather than paperwork.
- Fighting for transparency: Residents deserve straight answers on economic strategy — what’s being pursued, by whom, and how success is being measured.
What residents can do
- If you work in local business or supply chains and this affects you, message me with what you’re seeing on the ground (jobs, contracts, confidence, footfall).
- Share your priorities for what should replace lost opportunities — which sectors and what support would actually make a difference in Ebbw Vale and across Blaenau Gwent.
My position is simple: Wales doesn’t need more speeches about integrity and change — it needs a government that can actually deliver investment, jobs and opportunity. If Welsh Labour can’t do that after all this time in charge, then it’s time for something different.
Cllr Jonathan Millard
Ebbw Vale South Ward
Reform UK
