Leading with Courage and Kindness: Why We Need a Different Type of Politics

I didn’t step into politics to play by the same old rules. I stepped in because I believe politics can - and must - be different.

Too often, our politics has been reduced to shouting matches and point-scoring, where the loudest voice wins and honesty is treated as weakness. 

People are tired of it. 

And quite frankly, so am I.

A friend asked me recently if I really still believed I could change things through politics. That question sat heavy with me. But the answer is yes. Because giving up on politics isn’t the answer. Changing politics is.

I am 31, a mum of two young children, and when I was elected to Conwy County Council, becoming Deputy Leader, I also became the first woman to have a baby while in office. In 2023, that’s bonkers! I’m not your stereotypical councillor, and things had to adapt pretty quickly. My baby came with me to meetings because maternity leave in a coalition wasn’t realistic. I breastfed in the Chamber. Meetings were moved around the school run. Over the last three years, I’ve watched “normal practice” change in front of me. And the truth is - there was very little pushback. People were ready for change. And they are ready for more change now.

My leadership style is bottom-up. I listen first, I build trust, and I make decisions with people, not for them. And it works. I’ve shown you can win arguments and bring people with you without tearing others down. Politics doesn’t have to be dirty, brutal, or cynical. It can be principled, courageous, and compassionate.

That’s why I talk about leading with courage and kindness.

And right now, that matters more than ever.

Across Wales and the UK, we’re seeing the rise of a hard-right politics that thrives on fear and division. Their strategy is simple: divide and rule. Pit neighbour against neighbour. Distract people with anger so they don’t see who’s really letting them down.

We must not let that take hold. We must not give in to their rhetoric. And as Labour, we must be honest: people are turning to the right not because they want hate-fuelled politics, but because they feel ignored and left behind.

The answer is not to mimic the slogans of the hard right. It’s to stand strong and show a credible alternative. A Labour politics rooted in courage and kindness. Courage to call out division and hate. Kindness to build solidarity and hope.

Because politics should be about lifting each other up, not tearing each other down. It should be about learning from mistakes, not grandstanding to cover them up. It should be about uniting communities, not exploiting division.

That’s why even in this selection, where I’m standing against someone I count as a close friend, we’re showing there is a different way. Do I want the top spot? Absolutely. Do I think she would make a brilliant MS? Absolutely. Historically, selections can get nasty - personal, bitter, divisive. But not this time. We are being the change we want to see in politics: two young women, both going for the top spot, both supporting each other, both checking in.

That’s the politics I believe in. That’s the politics I practice. And that’s the politics I want to bring to the Senedd.

Not the old way of doing things, but a different type of politics. One that shows my children, and all of our children, that politics can still be something worth believing in.

Labour was built on solidarity - on the belief that we achieve more together than we ever could alone. That spirit must be at the heart of our politics again. 

A politics that unites voices, bridges divides, and creates hope where others spread fear. If you share that belief, then I ask you to stand with me and support me to be the change our party needs.

Together, we can build a stronger, kinder Wales - one that leads with courage and kindness.