As part of any general election, politicians try to meet as many voters as possible, and my fellow councillor, Catherine Fookes, who is the Labour candidate, has been to every community in Monmouthshire over the last few months, meeting people and hearing their concerns. I and other councillors have been out with her whenever council business allows, not just in our own wards but all over the county. Hearing your concerns is vital for us.

As a marginal seat, Monmouthshire is getting a lot of media attention too, and it was great to welcome Keir Starmer to Abergavenny recently.

Of course, the most important people in any election campaign are you, the voters. What we are being told is that people want change; a return to fairness and decency in the UK. They are fed up with politicians’ lies and worrying about the cost of living. They are worried about their children’s future, their own health and the health of the planet.

To achieve the best for Monmouthshire we need strong working relationships with the Welsh Government, town and community councils, our partners in the health board, and the police, neighbouring counties and by no means least, our representative in Parliament.

As leader, much of what I do helps build partnerships and I work to raise Monmouthshire’s profile. We work across the Cardiff Capital Region, which brings investment to South-East Wales through collaborative projects with business and the universities. We have formed a new partnership with our fellow border counties, Shropshire, Powys and Herefordshire to work together on issues such as transport and providing rural services.

Among all this, the recent D-day commemorations underlined for me of the need to defend our democracy. In that respect, the Monmouthshire council team is working hard to ensure that everyone eligible can vote on July 4, or by post beforehand.

Young or old, there is still time to register as a voter and to get a certificate if you don’t have ID. The generation who fought on the beaches those 80 years ago returned to vote for a new NHS, build the welfare state and enshrine human rights in international law. We must protect their legacy and never forget that our right to vote was hard won.