Our businesses are still suffering from the effects of Brexit, and they need our help

3 min read10 June

In Monmouthshire, supporting and growing the local economy is one of my top priorities. To achieve this, we need practical, long-term solutions to strengthen our local economy from the ground up.

Since becoming an MP, two missions have become especially clear to me: first, the need for a closer relationship with the European Union to help repair some of the damage Brexit has done to our local businesses; and second, as the representative of a rural constituency, the urgent need for better transport infrastructure. Together, these issues go hand in hand to generate meaningful growth – not just in Monmouthshire, but across rural communities throughout the UK.

On our relationship with the EU, I’ve spoken to businesses of all shapes and sizes and heard firsthand how they continue to struggle with exports and imports, and how the post-Brexit transition has caused lasting harm. As a member of the UK–EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA), I decided to dig deeper into these issues by organising a business roundtable, bringing together some of the county’s largest and most innovative employers.

Through in-depth conversations, a consistent message emerged; businesses here need clarity, stability, and a more productive relationship with the European Union – and they need our laws to continue to align with the EU's, or else they feel they may not have a future here. The impacts of Brexit are still being felt through increased red tape, confusing rules, disrupted supply chains, and reduced market access.

Quite frankly, I was shocked and alarmed by what these businesses have had to do just to adapt to the constant changes. Even more worrying is the fact that investment in other countries – instead of here in Wales – is now becoming more attractive to some of them.

If we’re serious about driving economic growth here in Wales and elsewhere across the UK, it’s clear to me that we must start rebuilding our relationship with the EU in a meaningful way. I am so pleased that the Labour government is starting this process. MEPs that I met at the first PPA meeting since 2023 welcomed the new government's approach with open arms. They are, in their words, "delighted the grown-ups are back in charge".

But growth isn’t just achieved through policy and trade; it also means delivering real, tangible projects and investing in infrastructure. That’s why I’ve fought so hard to get the ball rolling on the development of the long-awaited Magor Walkway Station.

Following years of tireless campaigning from local groups like Magor Rail, and after raising the issue multiple times in Parliament and in meetings with ministers, I’m delighted that both the UK and Welsh governments have now confirmed the station as a strategic priority for South East Wales. This is a major step forward for our community.

A new station at Magor will do more than provide a faster commute. It will reduce congestion on the M4, boost local tourism, support high street businesses, and give residents in this growing part of Monmouthshire a real alternative to car travel. It’s a local project with national significance – and one of many examples of how investing in rural infrastructure can instantly unlock wider economic benefits.

We now await the Spring Spending Review to secure the funding needed to get this project moving. I will continue to do everything I can to turn this priority into a reality.

From empowering businesses through closer ties with the EU to delivering critical transport infrastructure, my mission as Monmouthshire’s MP is to help build a Monmouthshire that thrives – not just today, but for generations to come.

Catherine Fookes MP, Wales Mission Delivery Champion