Barry’s turn is coming soon, and I know that many of the issues that matter most here will not be the same as those raised elsewhere. That is exactly the point. A Town Hall in Barry gives residents the chance to raise what is affecting them day to day at the moment. It is precisely this kind of local detail that makes the whole exercise worthwhile.
Town Halls, more broadly, are one of the ways I make sure a good share of my time as an MP is spent here in the Vale, in front of the people I represent, alongside the regular work of my constituency office.
Correspondence and casework remain a substantial part of what that office does, and continue exactly as before. Town Halls add to that work rather than replacing any part of it.
There is a national dimension to this too. As Minister for AI, part of my time in Westminster is given over to decisions on the governance of new technology, subjects that can feel abstract when viewed from a distance. Town Halls let me explain what is actually being decided and why, and, just as importantly, let me hear directly how residents expect those decisions to make a positive difference to their lives in the Vale.
That exchange has already proven its worth. Points raised by residents at the first two Town Halls came with me into a meeting with the Secretary of State for Wales, Stephen Kinnock, and shaped the case I put to him on behalf of the Vale.
None of this changes what my regular surgeries and constituency office already provide. That support continues as it always has, and remains the right route for anything personal or confidential.
I would encourage you to attend when the Town Hall reaches Barry – I want to hear from you.
As ever, you can reach me directly at kanishka.narayan.mp@parliament.uk
