Shropshire MPs' column - the latest from the county's representatives in Westminster
Read the latest column from the MP for Shrewsbury, Julia Buckley.
Fighting for fairness is at the heart of what I do as Member of Parliament for Shrewsbury, and this week I want to focus on two very different issues – different, yes, but linked by this theme of fairness.
For far too long, our wonderful independent shops and high street-based companies have been facing the burden of unfairly high business rates. This needs to change.
Meanwhile, the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) campaign has also highlighted great unfairness. This too is a cause I’ve been working for in an effort to secure compensation for those 1950s-born women who saw rapid, steep increases to their State Pension age without adequate notice.
Let’s begin with our independent shops – so many of which make Shrewsbury the vibrant and colourful town we’re lucky enough to enjoy.
It’s simply not fair that so many of these businesses are left struggling by these high business rates.
I’ve been fighting – and I’ll keep fighting to make sure Shrewsbury’s high street and markets get the long-term certainty they deserve in this month’s budget.
Shrewsbury Business Chamber says the current Business Rates system is not fit for purpose and requires a serious root and branch overhaul.
Many of our fabulous local businesses often raise with me this burden of high rates when compared to the online giants, squeezing their margins. So for months now I’ve been pressing the Government to reform business rates for our high street. With Shrewsbury boasting one of the highest concentrations of independent shops on a single street in the UK, this change perhaps matters more here than almost anywhere else.
By the way, we have 5,400 small businesses across Shropshire whose rateable value is below £500,000.
Through my work chairing the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Markets, I’ve been championing our independent traders and pushing for fairer treatment of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. I’m optimistic that changes are coming.
And so to the WASPI women (there are 6,000 in my constituency) – and there’s been some good news on this issue.
It looks like there is fresh hope of compensation now for those 1950s-born women who were hit by steep increases to their State Pension age without adequate notice. During the current High Court consideration of the WASPI Campaign appeal, additional evidence was referenced, and the Government has now committed to consider this.
Since being elected I have continued to press Ministers on this issue, joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group on WASPI – and in January I personally voted in support of paying the WASPI compensation following the Ombudsman report. It is essential now that the Government works with these women to determine fair and just compensation.
