Julia Buckley

I am delighted to lead this debate to enable the House to discuss the need for rail connections between London and rural towns. As the Minister well knows, I represent the beautiful constituency of Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire and home to some 70,000 residents. We already have the nation’s favourite market, winning the national award no fewer than three times, but this weekend we were once again named one of Britain’s best places to live, according to The Sunday Times in its annual guide. Judges praised our “period-drama backdrop”, our fabulous range of eateries and our cool suburbs. The Sunday Times went on to say: “The award-winning indoor market is surely one of the most inspiring places to shop in the whole country… the town centre has enough quirky delis, bakeries, bars and cafés to keep you in top-notch flat whites…and espresso martinis every day of the week. Culture comes courtesy of the cinema in the Old Market Hall and the boldly brutalist Theatre Severn”. It added that Shrewsbury “even has its own cool suburbs in Belle Vue, where volunteers run an annual arts festival”. That is before we mention the 600 listed buildings, the Tudor castle and the riverboat cruises along the loop of the River Severn.