Thank you to Torfaen Councillors for re-electing me as leader for the forthcoming year. An array of challenges face us. They are varied, but some things unite them.

Firstly, they are all complex – none have obvious answers. Secondly, they all require grown-up, sensible debates about what to do – none will be solved by shouting slogans at one another. Thirdly, you have to set priorities, not just be guided by whichever issue is topical that week, or we will solve nothing.

Saying you can prioritise everything is just dishonest. Lastly, they all require us working together, across different levels of government, different organisations and hand in hand with the public.

Taking tough decisions and building consensus is a lot more difficult for leaders than shouting at your opponents and making out that you - and you alone – are the solution. But it is what is required to resolve the challenges that should be foremost in our minds.

First, as we hopefully emerge from a pandemic that has caused so much suffering, how do we resolve the issues that it has shown up in such stark contrast? How do we get more people fit and active, so that their wellbeing improves, their health is more resilient and the huge gaps in healthy life expectancy across Gwent can be closed?

How do we work to help our local economy move forwards after such a difficult time for businesses, so that we can ensure there are more and better jobs for our communities?

How do we tackle the huge issue of climate change, reducing our carbon footprint and energy use as an organisation? Everyone would agree with that as an aim, but it brings challenges that concern people, for example on issues like street lighting.

How do we address the problems caused by cars, not just in terms of emissions, but also space in communities that just weren’t built for current levels of car ownership? We can’t just punish drivers who are reliant on their cars for work, we must devise better alternatives including active travel.

How do we tackle the housing crisis and shortage of good, affordable housing, whilst still recognising peoples’ concerns about development?

How do we maintain progress on education, helping ensure our young people and schools staff have the buildings, resources and effective school leadership they need to thrive?

We pride ourselves on taking care of the vulnerable, but how do we ensure that is done in an effective and sustainable way? How do we move more to prevention rather than cure, intervening earlier, for example to safely reduce the numbers of looked after children?

On the public realm issues people often raise, how do we improve the local environment and facilities within our communities, realistically and within constrained budgets that mean we have to be honest with people and say that we can’t do everything or resurface every road? In that context, how do we make our communities as safe and welcoming for people as possible?

Lastly, how do we use our area’s natural assets and opportunities, like our environment, our strong community spirit, our canal and facilities like Greenmeadow Community Farm, to play a part in addressing those challenges?

I look forward to working alongside our councillors and communities as we meet these challenges together.