Minutes with the MP

By Helen Morgan – MP for North Shropshire

What a year it’s been.

When I was elected last December, I knew Boris Johnson was unpopular, but I wasn’t expecting to see three Prime Ministers in power in my first 12 months in Parliament.

It may be historic, but I really wish it wasn’t the case because the turmoil in Government has done nothing to help the country.

As a result, far too many people will be relying on the generosity of others this Christmas.

Thankfully here in Oswestry we have lots of fantastic community groups that go out of their way to help families across the town – places like OsNosh, the Qube and Oswestry Foodbank where staff and volunteers are working incredibly hard for the benefit of others.

Meeting the teams at organisations like these is always a highlight of my week.

When times are tight it would be understandable for people to focus on themselves, but it’s been really heart-warming to see the community spirit on show stronger than ever before in Oswestry and across North Shropshire.

Of course, I would prefer we had a Government able enough to ensure people don’t need to rely on donations to eat or libraries to keep warm, but the Conservatives’ repeated failures suggest this won’t happen until we have a General Election. Perhaps Father Christmas could drop some ballot papers down our chimneys…

Joking aside, after a tumultuous period we are all due some festive cheer. I’m looking forward to admiring the Christmas lights (as long as they’re low energy!), singing carols and seeing snow dust the top of the Hillfort.

But I’ll also be thinking of those less fortunate, like the Ukrainian refugees spending Christmas in Oswestry this year and the families skipping Christmas dinner so they can put the heating on.

If you, or someone you know, is in need of help then please contact me by emailing helen.morgan. mp@parliament.uk.

However you are celebrating, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and here’s to a much happier New Year.

Work Experience with an MP

By Emillie Parsons-Hann

From an outsider’s perspective it may seem as though politics is considerably straight forward - you meet, you talk, you act, however I can tell you that the behindthe-scenes preparation is heavily underestimated. Earlier this year, I was privileged with the opportunity to complete my work experience alongside North Shropshire’s MP, Helen Morgan, and her team - experiencing diurnal work within a bustling constituency office.

From the start, I was exposed to an array of roles: casework, campaigning and management, while also being entrusted with writing replies and letters to a range of different people, all differing in topic focus. From the cost-of-living crisis to a Primary School class writing to enquire how Ukrainian children can be better helped in the classroom-each piece of casework was carefully considered before a response was formulated. I was amazed to discover the sheer amount of work that enters the caseworker’s inbox, but more so to learn that the small group of four had managed to answer over 4000 cases within the last year! The Press Board situated on the office wall doesn’t give nearly enough tribute to their tenacity in finding ways to try and improve the constituency. As busy as they were, Helen and her team were still more than willing to answer questions and involve me in their work- taking the time to explain the impact and purpose of their role, as well as how press releases are edited and circulated. It was engaging to see how Helen prioritized the constituency’s concerns regarding agriculture, public transport, the NHS and local business within her PMQ and community work-it was obvious how deeply she cared about improving North Shropshire. It must be said that no two days were the same and this experience offered me an unfiltered insight into politics. From this I quickly learnt that adaptability is paramount for a career within the government this month alone being a perfect example of political unpredictability.

A friendly local taxi service operating in Oswestry and surrounding areas

AIRPORT TRANSFERS AVAILABLE

We will now be accepting bookings for up to 8 seats with our new driver starting in a Ford Minibus. We strive to o er the best service possible in Oswestry and this addition will increase our availability to larger groups or weddings wanting to get home! The driver/vehicle will be available Thursday-Saturday evenings subject to availability.