Welsh Secretary looks ahead to bright 2026 for Wales

Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens reflects on UK Government investment and delivery in Wales in 2025 and looks ahead to 2026.

The coming new year will see the delivery of jobs, growth and increased investment in Wales, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens has said.

Throughout 2025 the UK Government has delivered transformative investment in Wales with measures to grow the economy, create jobs and tackle the cost of living.

November saw one of the most significant infrastructure investments in Welsh history with the announcement that Wylfa on Anglesey would be the site of the UK's first small nuclear reactors.

The project will create thousands of high-quality jobs during construction and operation, whilst helping to make Britain a clean energy superpower and securing homegrown energy for future generations.

It was backed by the announcement of two AI Growth Zones for North and South Wales which together will create more than 8,000 good jobs in the coming years and by £10 million to support jobs in the semiconductor cluster along the M4 in South Wales.

It followed significant investment in Wales rail announced earlier in the year at the Chancellor's Spending Review. Following years of underinvestment in Welsh rail infrastructure, £445 million will transform services and connectivity and support economic growth across Wales.

The UK Government has also taken steps to tackle the cost of living with a £150 saving on household energy cap, uprating Universal Credit, increasing the state pension and putting more money in the pockets of around 160,000 of the lowest-paid workers across Wales with an increase to the National Minimum Wage.

Thousands of children across Wales will benefit from measures to tackle child poverty with around 69,000 affected by the removal the removal of the two-child benefit limit announced by the Prime Minister in December.

The UK Government has ensured public services across Wales are better funded after Welsh Government received another record budget settlement in 2025, providing unprecedented resources to invest in public services that matter most to people in Wales.

This historic funding enables investment in the NHS, schools, local services and infrastructure, helping to break down barriers to opportunity and improve quality of life for people throughout Wales.

And the UK Government has provided continued support for steelworkers in Port Talbot throughout 2025, recognising the vital importance of the steel industry to the Welsh economy. This support includes funding for retraining programmes, job-seeking assistance and investment in new opportunities in Port Talbot and the surrounding area.

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 that the UK Government will continue to deliver for Welsh communities throughout 2026, building on the transformative investment of 2025.

Two Freeports in Anglesey and South West Wales will become operational, providing simplified planning and customs benefits to attract investment and create jobs.

Further improvements to Welsh rail infrastructure will continue, building on the progress made in 2025 to enhance connectivity, support sustainable transport and drive economic growth, with work starting on the major regeneration of Cardiff Central Station, backed by UK Government funding, with new stations, safer level crossings and line upgrades to follow.

And as work continues to construct Tata Steel's new electric arc furnace in Port Talbot, UK Government support for steelworkers and the local community will continue, with further investment in retraining, new economic opportunities and support for affected workers and families.

Just before Christmas, the UK Government added a further £22 million to the Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board fund – taking the UK Government contribution to the fund to £102 million - so more businesses in the area will continue to be supported into 2026.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said:

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.