Welsh Secretary says 2026 set to be strong year for Wales
The Welsh Secretary has said the coming year will see continued jobs growth and investment across Wales, building on what the UK government describes as a transformative 2025.
Jo Stevens MP said the past year had delivered measures aimed at boosting the economy, creating jobs and helping households with the cost of living.
Among the announcements highlighted was confirmation in November that Wylfa on Anglesey will be 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 long-term energy security.
The Welsh Secretary also pointed to the creation of two AI Growth Zones in North and South Wales, forecast to support more than 8,000 jobs, alongside £10 million to support the semiconductor cluster along the M4 corridor in South Wales.
Investment in rail infrastructure was also cited, with £445 million allocated to improve services and connectivity across Wales following what ministers say were years of underinvestment.
The UK government said action had also been taken to ease cost-of-living pressures, including changes to household energy costs, increases to Universal Credit and the state pension, and a rise in the National Minimum Wage, affecting around 160,000 workers in 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.”
Looking ahead to 2026, the Welsh Secretary said two Freeports in Anglesey and South West Wales are expected to become operational, while further rail improvements are planned, including work starting on the regeneration of Cardiff Central station.
She also confirmed continued UK government support for steelworkers in Port Talbot as Tata Steel’s new electric arc furnace is constructed, alongside additional funding for retraining and local economic support.
Just before Christmas, an additional £22 million was added to the Tata Steel Port Talbot Transition Board fund, taking the UK government contribution to £102 million.
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.
“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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