Welsh Secretary promises jobs, growth and increased investment: ‘There is a bright 2026 ahead for Wales’
Welsh Secretary promises jobs, growth and increased investment: ‘There is a bright 2026 ahead for Wales’
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The Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens MP, has said 2026 will be a year of jobs, growth and continued investment for Wales, as she reflected on UK Government delivery during 2025.
The Welsh Secretary said the past year had seen what she described as transformative investment aimed at growing the economy, creating jobs and tackling the cost of living across Wales.
One of the most significant announcements came in November, when Wylfa on Anglesey was confirmed as the site of the UK’s first small nuclear reactors.
The project is expected to create thousands of jobs during construction and operation, while contributing to clean energy generation and long-term energy security.
The investment was followed by the announcement of two AI Growth Zones in North and South Wales, expected to create more than 8,000 jobs, alongside £10m of support for the semiconductor cluster along the M4 corridor in south Wales.
Earlier in the year, the Chancellor’s Spending Review confirmed £445m of rail investment in Wales, aimed at improving services, boosting connectivity and supporting economic growth after what the UK Government said were years of underinvestment.
Thousands of children are also expected to benefit from changes to welfare policy, with around 69,000 affected by the removal of the two-child benefit limit announced in December.
Public services funding was another focus, with the Welsh Government receiving a record budget settlement in 2025 to support investment in areas including the NHS, schools and local services.
The steel industry in Port Talbot also remained a priority, with continued UK Government support for steelworkers throughout 2025, including retraining, job support and investment linked to the transition to new production methods.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “We promised new jobs and economic growth for people across Wales after more than a decade of neglect and this UK Government has delivered generational investment – from new nuclear, to AI and rail.
“The new funding for Wales’s semiconductor industry and for the continued transformation of Port Talbot shows we are investing in Wales’s industrial future and the high skilled jobs and growth it will bring.
“People across Wales will have more money in their pockets as a result of our measures to help with the cost of living which we are making sure that the Welsh Government is funded properly and fairly to spend on its priorities like the NHS and schools.
“Wales has two governments working together to deliver the priorities of working people and families across the country and the benefits are beginning to be seen.”
The Welsh Secretary said two Freeports in Anglesey and south west Wales will become operational, with the aim of attracting investment and creating jobs through simplified planning and customs arrangements.
Further rail improvements are planned, including the start of major regeneration works at Cardiff Central Station, supported by UK Government funding, alongside new stations, safer level crossings and line upgrades.
Support for Port Talbot is also set to continue as work progresses on Tata Steel’s new electric arc furnace. Just before Christmas, the UK Government confirmed an additional £22m for the Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board fund, taking total UK Government funding to £102m.
Stevens added: “We are now achieving our ambition to bring positive change to the lives of people and communities across Wales. But we have only just begun and we will move even further and faster in 2026.
“As we look ahead to the new year, the UK Government remains focused on delivering for Welsh communities, creating jobs, driving investment and ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are felt by people in every part of Wales.
“And outside politics I especially hope to see Wales qualify for another major tournament and head to North America for the World Cup this summer.
“There is a bright 2026 ahead for Wales as we continue our work to unleash opportunity and bring a decade of national renewal.”
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