Over the next 5 years, if elected, I will campaign to ensure that every child as the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Full statement

No child must be left behind. We have to extend child care and rebuild our health service.

After the very difficult year we have all experienced we now need to rebuild our health service and develop a strong green economy. I believe that only a Labour Government can achieve this.

The pandemic has shown us the importance of our local shops and communities I will campaign to improve and strengthen these in Cardiff North.

Houses in Cardiff North were badly affected by flooding in 2020 we must find a long term solution to this problem. I believe we need a scheme look at the whole of the River Taff to restore the uplands and as a result prevent flooding lower down the river

About Julie:

Julie was first elected as Assembly Member for Cardiff North in 2011 (since May 2020 she is known as Member of the Senedd). She was re-elected in 2016 when she more than doubled her majority (to 3,667) winning 16,766 votes, the highest number of votes cast for any AM in Wales. Turnout was also one of the highest in Wales, at 56.81%.

In the Fifth Assembly (2016-2021) Julie has served on the Children's Committee and the Health and Social Care Committee and chaired Cross Party Groups on Children, Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, the PCS union and Gypsies & Travellers.

In her role as chair of the CPG on Haemophilia and Contaminated Blood, Julie campaigned for a Public Inquiry into the Contaminated Blood Scandal, raising the issue in numerous questions and debates in the Assembly (prior to that she also raised the issue as an MP). A Public Inquiry was finally agreed in July 2017.

In December 2018 Julie was appointed to the Welsh Government as Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services ​​.

As Deputy Minister Julie brought forward legislation to remove the defence of reasonable punishment, to make sure that children in Wales have the same levels of protection against physical punishment in the law as adults do. This is an issue which she had long campaigned on as a backbencher.

In a landmark vote held in the Senedd on January 28, 2020, Assembly Members voted 36 to 14 to approve the Children (Abolition of Defence of Reasonable Punishment) (Wales) Bill and Wales became the latest country to join 58 nations around the world to end the physical punishment of children.