The Labour Party conference is an amazing event, partly a political rally for a national audience, partly a place for democratic debate, training, and there are numerous fringe events to discuss policy and exchange ideas.

Council business prevented me from being among the politicians, party members and visitors attending this year, but Monmouthshire Labour Party sent delegates, and all the speeches are on YouTube for anyone who wants to know what was really said during those four days, rather than just what was reported

So what will any of the announcements made mean for Monmouthshire?

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner opened the conference with plans to ‘fix the foundations’: a bill on employment rights and leasehold reform will benefit people here.

Your chancellor, Rachel Reeves, set out the actions she is taking to stabilise the public finances, balance the books and invest to return the UK to economic growth, planning to recover the £76bn lost to fraud and dodgy contracts during the pandemic, and clamp to down on tax avoidance and evasion.

Louise Haigh, Secretary of State for Transport set out plans to take railways into public ownership and allow councils to run buses.

And our own First Minister, Eluned Morgan, together with Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens, set out how the Welsh and UK Governments will work together on energy, transport and the NHS, bringing down waiting lists.

For Monmouthshire as a border county, this is a breath of fresh air, putting national policy behind the way we are already working with colleagues in Bristol, the Forest of Dean, Herefordshire and elsewhere.

Another area where we depend on UK policy is justice, and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s speech promised more police on the streets. Violence against women will be a national priority, 999 call centres will have domestic abuse specialists, and rape victims will have legal advocates to help them through the court process. She outlined the task of rebuilding the justice system so that people can feel safe again.

Of course, the speech that hit the headlines was that of the Prime Minister. Calmly and seriously, Keir Starmer set out a responsible approach to national government, unlike the chaos and division of the last decade plus. A new public duty of candour will make lies and cover-ups subject to criminal sanctions, and all policies will be properly funded.

Here at home, I am canvassing for Monmouth’s excellent deputy mayor, Jackie Atkin, to replace our MP, Catherine Fookes, and represent Monmouth Town on our county council.