Shropshire MPs' column - the latest from the county's representatives in Westminster
Read the latest column from the MP for North Shropshire, Helen Morgan.
When the Chancellor stood up to deliver her recent Budget, I had hoped for bold action to support rural communities like ours in North Shropshire. But instead, sadly, what we got was a botched package that ignores the very real challenges facing families, farmers, and businesses in the countryside.
Once again, the focus was on metro mayors and urban centres, leaving rural market towns and villages overlooked.
For too many years, our communities here have suffered from underinvestment, with funds diverted elsewhere.
Public services have been badly impacted. North Shropshire has had some of the worst transport links in the country for decades, but in the last 10 years alone has seen a staggering 63 per cent drop in bus miles - more than three times the national average.
There’s just been a cycle of decline where the bus service is infrequent and unreliable, yet there are many studies that say it’s a good investment and can generate economic growth. Isn’t that what the Government wants?
Local businesses are going bust and high streets have been hit hard. The services relied on by the vulnerable, isolated or elderly have long gone, and it sometimes feels like the heart of a community has been ripped out.
Farmers who are fighting to keep their businesses afloat are anxious at the impact of damaging inheritance tax changes.
I’ve spoken to farmers across North Shropshire who fear the reforms will force them to sell land or close their gates for good. Meanwhile local business owners continue to bear the brunt of increased National Insurance contributions.
What really struck me recently was speaking with children from farming families who told me they are worried about whether their parents will be able to keep the farm going. When children are losing sleep over tax changes, it shows just how deep the anxiety runs in our rural communities. This is not just an abstract policy debate – it’s about real lives, future generations.
While the Chancellor gave a small concession on inheritance tax, it was nothing more than an admission that the policy is damaging. Tinkering at the edges will not save family farms and the changes risk generations of farming knowledge being lost and rural areas hollowed out.
Our communities cannot be treated as an afterthought any longer and North Shropshire deserves better. I will continue to fight for a fair deal – for proper investment, for action on rural crime, and for policies that help rather than hinder.
The Budget seemed to be a missed opportunity – and its rural communities, families and farmers who will pay the price.
