On Wednesday 26th November, Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her latest Budget — a Budget rooted firmly in Labour values, focused on cutting the cost of living, investing in public services and rebuilding economic security for working families.

Below are some of the key announcements and importantly, what they mean for people across the Bridgend & Porthcawl constituency.

Tackling Child Poverty

The Chancellor confirmed that the two-child limit in Universal Credit will be scrapped.
This is a major step forward in the fight to reduce child poverty.

• In Bridgend, around 1,440 children currently affected by the policy are expected to benefit.

• Nationally, this change is projected to lift 450,000 children out of relative poverty.

This is a compassionate and long-overdue policy change that puts children first.

AI Growth Zones: A Major Opportunity for Bridgend

Earlier this week, it was announced that Bridgend will be part of the new South Wales AI Growth Zone, stretching along the M4 from Bridgend to Newport.

One of the key development sites will be built by Vantage Data Centers on the former Bridgend Ford site — planning approval has already been secured.

This means:

• Thousands of new construction jobs in the coming years

• Long-term careers in AI research, technology, and data infrastructure

• Partnerships with local colleges and universities to prepare young people for the jobs of the future

• The potential to harness over 1GW of power by the early 2030s

• At least 5,000 jobs created as a result of this plan

This is a transformational investment in our community, securing skilled work and long-term economic growth for Bridgend.

Helping with the Cost of Living

The Budget included several direct measures to ease pressure on household finances:

• £150 off energy bills for every family

• A 4.8% increase to pensions

• Further increases to the minimum and living wage, building on the April 2025 rise that has already helped 160,000 workers in Wales

These measures will make a real difference to households struggling with rising costs.

More Investment for Welsh Public Services

The Welsh Government will receive almost £1 billion extra through the Barnett Formula and a fundamental reform of the Fiscal Framework.

This includes:

• £425 million in additional spending power over the next five years

• Increased borrowing and reserve drawdown limits — waived entirely next year

• Powers linked to inflation moving forward

• A further £505 million on top of the largest settlement in the history of devolution, delivered earlier this year

After years of real-terms cuts imposed by the previous UK Government, Labour is righting the injustice of how Wales is funded.

Support for Former Mineworkers

Thousands of former mineworkers across the UK will receive extra retirement payments, following the release of £2.3 billion from the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.

Here in Bridgend & Porthcawl, 167 BCSSS members will benefit from this uplift.

I am proud that Labour has taken action to correct this long-standing injustice and deliver the financial security these workers deserve.

A Labour Budget With Labour Values

This Budget delivers:

• Investment in public services

• A fair deal for working families

• Action to cut the cost of living

• A long-term plan to grow the economy

• Bills support, wage increases, and major new jobs for Wales

• More than 11,000 new jobs and billions of pounds of investment announced across Wales in the last two weeks alone