In November, we marked the season of Remembrance. As a veteran, this is always a time of intensified emotion. South Shropshire is proudly home to more than 4,000 veterans, representing almost one in ten households. I visited the House of Commons Books of Remembrance, which commemorate Members of Parliament, their staff, and families who died in the First and Second World Wars. These books are poignant reminders of the precious freedoms that we are elected to uphold.
Last month, Chancellor Rachel Reeves also delivered her Autumn Budget. Under this government, the cost of living has already gone up by over £1,000. Now, the Chancellor has announced a multi-billion-pound tax hike that will hit rural communities like ours the worst. It will mean extra council tax for local families and will place pubs and cafes under even more pressure. Official figures have also shown that unemployment is sadly stuck at a four-year high, while vacancies are vanishing, and wages are slowing. In South Shropshire and across the country, youth unemployment has sadly increased since the General Election.
One in eight young people are now without an opportunity to earn or learn. This is unacceptable and has a particular impact in South Shropshire, where our rural geography makes it more difficult to deliver employment support services. At the same time, there are just thirteen jobcentre plus offices in rural areas in England. It is unfair that other areas have high-quality access to employment support while residents in South Shropshire are denied the opportunity. That is why I have renewed my campaign to secure employment support vans in South Shropshire. I believe that residents deserve access to this service, which offers help with job searches and training opportunities as well as access to information on disability support and childcare services.
I was thrilled to receive over a thousand responses to my Shop Local Survey in Ludlow. While most people continue to often visit our high streets, this has sadly decreased for hundreds of local residents who are now discouraged by prohibitive parking arrangements. There is also a strong desire for the range of goods and services available to be further enhanced. At the same time, more than half of the businesses that responded reported that their confidence has decreased over the past year - driven by expensive energy bills and supply chain costs as well as the government’s recent hikes in a range of business taxes. Despite these huge pressures, I will continue to campaign for the funding and support that will enable these businesses to thrive.
I was pleased to support the start of the Sunflower Fundraising Appeal, which has been by local charity Lingen Davies Cancer Support. The appeal, which is the biggest to date, hopes to raise £5 million to double chemotherapy treatment across the region. In South Shropshire, I was also delighted to celebrate success of Grainger and Worrall. They are an engineering business that has been awarded the King's Award for Innovation. I also attended the launch of Midlands Air Ambulance Rural First Aid Training Service. As someone who started his career as a farm hand, I welcome the introduction of these high-quality courses. Additionally, I was pleased to catch-up with the local policing team at Church Stretton Police Station. I also visited the Food Bank at Ludlow Baptist Church, Ludlow Tennis Club, Ludlow Youth Centre, St Lawrence's Primary School, Blue Boar Pub in Ludlow, which has recently re-opened following renovations, and BeaverFit in Church Stretton, which proudly supports those our brave veterans.
In Parliament, I was thrilled to celebrate the England Lionesses' victory at UEFA Women's Euro 2025 at a special event which I attended with my daughter. It was hosted by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP. Following the closure of Lloyds Bank in both Bridgnorth and Ludlow as well as Yorkshire Building Society in Church Stretton, I have called for the creation of banking hubs in South Shropshire. This was ruled out because we still have some banks on our high streets. However, I am worried that the current criteria means that it watches the decline of our high street. I have called for a more proactive response to tackle the decline in access to cash.
Every day, almost a hundred thousand people travel between England and Wales for work. The Union Connectivity Review, undertaken by the last government, made the case for improved investment in the area known as the Welsh Marches. This would help to unleash rural prosperity. As part of this, rail reforms had great potential to end fragmentation and deliver more reliable services with simpler tickets. Given this situation, I am greatly concerned that the current government's plans could instead marginalise train services in the Welsh Marches, like Church Stretton and Ludlow. The last government had pledged to deliver a joint working agreement with Wales, which operates much of this line. The current government does not appear to have not made any progress on this. So, I have invited Ministers to meet with me and Church Stretton Town Council to discuss these concerns.
