‘It’s the actions that people recognise’
In July 2024, Dr Julia Buckley was elected as Shrewsbury’s first Labour MP for twenty years, and the new constituency’s first-ever female MP.
How has her first year been? What impact is she making on behalf of the county town, in the corridors of Westminster?
I sat down with Julia Buckley to hear her answers not only to those questions, but also to a whole clutch of others suggested by Hello You listeners.
You can hear what happened in this episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast.
‘Sometimes I think I need to speak out more’
We talk about:
the reported improvements in our local hospital’s performance
public transport - Sunday buses, and trains to London
the rise in National Insurance
fair funding for Shropshire Council
support for SEND children, and the new SEND Hubs
trans people’s rights
the suspensions of backbenchers
whether Labour is drifting too far towards Reform’s territory, and the Prime Minister’s unfortunate ‘island of strangers’ speech
grooming gangs
pensions, the winter fuel allowance, and the welfare bill
Gaza, Palestine Action and whether the UK should cease supplying arms to Israel
how Julia deals with personal attacks online
I’m sorry that we didn’t have time for me to raise your questions about the environment and the proposed changes to planning legislation, climate change, racism, international aid, poverty and inequality/inequity, farmers, the assisted dying bill, biodiversity and whether Julia Buckley still believes Labour to be a left-wing party. Julia, if you’d be interested in another conversation at some point (and I certainly would), maybe we could start with those?
Inter alia, it’s great to know that listeners to Hello You are such an informed, engaged and thoughtful group of people. Thank you for being … you, basically.
I’d love to know what you think of this special episode of Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Leave a comment?
‘It’s time to be responsible’
And if you’re one of Shropshire’s other MPs, a councillor, a decision-maker, someone in a position of authority and responsibility, in charge of something that’s important to the life of Shropshire, will you do the same?
Dr Julia Buckley has been willing to spend time answering questions from listeners to Hello You the Shropshire podcast. Who else is up for the challenge?
Get your people to talk to my people. Oh wait, I don’t have any people, it’s just me. So email me jimallthetime@gmail.com or hit this here button
and let’s get the wheels turning.
Likewise, if you’re in Shropshire, who would you like to hear answering your questions on Hello You? Tell me their name, or what they do in the county. And tell me what you’d like to ask them, and why. I’ll do my thing and invite them to answer questions.
Holding powerful and influential people to account. I’ve been doing it on the radio for years. And now I’m doing it on here. (You’re welcome.)
I think local public-service journalism that’s prepared to take the time and put in the effort to find out what you need to know, is important
That’s one reason why I make Hello You the Shropshire podcast.
If you’d like Hello You and want to support it, here are some ways:
tell your friends about Hello You; mention it on Facebook on in your WhatsApp chat groups, or talk about it at work, in the pub, on the bus, at church, wherever
share this episode
… or all of them
subscribe to Hello You
… and if you take out a paid subscription, you help enormously to ensure I can keep doing this
Thank you for being there
It means a hell of a lot.
Have the best week you possibly can. Want to let me know how you’re doing, or how your week’s going? Hmu, as the kids say …
Take care of yourself.
Take care of the people around you.
And I really hope the people around you are taking care of you, too.
