I live in the Vale with my wife Emma, who runs her own small business, and my son Henri. My father was a welder in British Steel and my mother was a shopkeeper.
I first became aware of politics whilst growing up in a deprived community near Swansea, I saw the integral part that local business plays in the community through a close hard-working family member who ran her own small grocery shop and worked all hours possible for almost fifty years.
In July 2014, I became Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales and a Government Whip, later appointed as Secretary of State for Wales in March 2016 and I served in this role until October 2019.
Within Parliament, I served as a member of numerous APPG's covering a wide range of topics such as energy security, broadband and digital communication, parkrun, tennis, beer, and many more.
In my spare time, I am a keen runner and love running in the London Marathon. In 2015, I helped to set up Barry Island Parkrun, the first of its kind in the Vale. In 2023, I ran my tenth London Marathon having previously run for local and national charities such as: Atal y Fro (Vale Womens Charity), Ty Hapus, Guide Dogs Cymru, Dementia Revolution, Marie Curie, NSPCC Wales, Heads Together, Breast Cancer Now, the Brain Tumour Charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, Age Connects, Parkinson's UK, Calon Hearts and Barnardo's.
In total raising over £100,000 for charity! Most recently, this year, I ran the London Marathon for Children with Cancer UK.
Please note that Parliament has been dissolved until after the General Election and I am no longer an MP.