Helen urges Michael Gove to back Shropshire levelling up bids

North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has urged Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove to get behind funding bids that would help improve services in Shropshire.

Helen, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Levelling Up, called on Mr Gove support a funding bid specifically for Oswestry as well as a Shropshire-wide bid to improve bus services.

The applications have been submitted by Shropshire Council to the Government’s levelling up fund and were supported by Helen and other MPs.

The Conservative Government has previously rejected three separate bids from the council for levelling up cash despite Shropshire having poor public transport links and the local authority spending around 80 per cent of its budget on social care.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Helen Morgan said, “I think we have to support a very good levelling up bid in Oswestry in my constituency.

“But with North Shropshire being such a large rural area, public transport is a really important part of levelling up the whole region.

“So I'd like to ask the Secretary of State, firstly, will he look favourably upon Oswestry's bid but will he also look favourably upon Shropshire's bid to improve bus services around the county?”

Answering on behalf of Michael Gove, Dehenna Davison MP, said, “Well, I'm grateful to my honourable friend for speaking so passionately about the bid that she's put in for her own constituency.

“Certainly willing to engage with her and ministers at the Department for Transport to see what more we can do.”