I’m no career politician: I stood for Parliament to make a difference.

It’s an honour to have been elected as the Member of Parliament for Swansea West. Whether you voted for me or not, I’m working hard for you and for a brighter future for our city.

It was here in Swansea that my parents started out – my mum training as a solicitor and my dad teaching at Swansea University, before he spent decades working at Save the Children. They taught me what it means to work for something bigger than yourself, to serve a community and a cause.

I’ve spent my career fighting to make our economy work for everyone. I worked in the Treasury, tackling youth unemployment and child poverty. And more recently I spent a decade arguing for better paid and more secure jobs as head of the Resolution Foundation, a national charity dedicated to improving the lives of working people and making this a more equal country to live in.

I stood for election to help deliver those things, rather than just writing about them. Because change has never been more urgent. Typical wages in Swansea haven’t risen since 2010. 340 households become homeless every month. And I know how worried people are about anti-social behaviour and the cost of living.

Swansea has made real progress in recent years. Many of our landmark city centre buildings are being renewed. We celebrate our industrial history, but can also build a prosperous future – with two excellent universities and the potential for green industries in South Wales. My job is to make sure that Swansea doesn’t get forgotten, and that we celebrate all its strengths, not least as a beautiful place to live. I’m confident we can start to turn things around and I’m working hard every day to make sure that, together, we do.