Helen Morgan: Becoming an MP is a way of life and not a job
They say a week is a long time in politics, but for Shropshire's newest MP her first year has been packed with more than most politicians witness in a lifetime.
Helen Morgan swept to a seismic Liberal Democrat victory in the North Shropshire by-election on December 16 last year – a result that sent shockwaves through the political world – and particularly Number 10 Downing Street.
The contest had followed Conservative Owen Paterson's resignation over an expenses scandal, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson's botched attempt to prevent the North Shropshire MP's suspension from parliament – actions that backfired, losing not only the seat, but also expending precious political capital as Tory MPs were left head in hands over another Johnson U-turn, while public frustration built at more chaos in the heart of government.
For Mrs Morgan, the change has been huge, going from a part-time accountant to a 24/7 constituency advocate with a ringside seat for the most eventful political year in recent memory.
In the space of 12 months she has seen a mind-blowing three prime ministers on the opposite benches – along with four chancellors.
Her job has also seen her discovering the true extent of some of the issues facing the county, while she works with her team to help people struggling with cost of living issues, problems with the health service, passports and even driving tests.
It all came after a whirlwind election where she found herself thrust into the national spotlight amid one of the darkest days of Boris Johnson's term in office.
She said: "After the declarations you sort of get into your car with all these national cameras around us and I said to my husband 'What has happened?'. We could not take in the level of people's interest.
"Then at the rally in Oswestry the next day I felt as though it was almost an out-of-body experience because I was so tired – I had barely slept for three days. It was very, very odd. It still does not seem real."
Mrs Morgan, 47, said that the job had seen a huge change in her life, from three short days a week at work, cleaning the house, doing gardening and delivering Lib Dem leaflets, to the pressure of representing 77,000 voters in North Shropshire – whether they are Lib Dem or not.
She said: "It is completely different, I think becoming an MP is a way of life rather than a job.
"It is a uniquely privileged position; you have to represent your constituents which means you have to be thinking about that wherever you are, so it absorbs all of your time."
She said that despite preparing for what victory might mean, talking with MPs about how they operate, it was impossible to comprehend what was to come.
"I think because the by-election was something which happened so suddenly there was no time to prepare for what was going to happen."
Mrs Morgan added that other issues like a once-in-a-generation cost of living crisis were impossible to prepare for and that the role had opened her eyes to a number of issues, pointing to County Lines drug dealing as one.
She said: "One of the first things you learn is the scale of issues that are out there – take County Lines drugs for example. Everyone is aware it is out there but when you become an MP you speak to the police, people on the ground and you realise far more young people are being exploited than you had ever realised and that is the same for lots of issues.
"I went to a care home looking after girls who have been victims of sexual exploitation and I was shocked.
"I had read about it in the papers and knew it happened but I was shocked at the scale on which things happen because I have had a privileged and lucky life."
She added: "There is also the chaos, the number of people who had to cancel their holidays because they could not get a passport, the number of people who could not get a driving test. It is good to be able to help some of those people."
She continued: "I think as an MP it is not having the power but you do have some influence, and when you can help people that makes a huge difference and that makes you feel good – that you have a whole team who are working hard in the background to help people and that makes it worthwhile."
Mrs Morgan also paid tribute to the volunteers working across the county to improve the lives of others.
She said: "It is so uplifting, there are so many people trying to make life better out there for other people. With these type of organisations there is an army of people out there helping."
In what has been a dramatic 12 months at the top of politics, with Boris Johnson being followed by not one, but two prime ministers, Mrs Morgan has had a front row seat while the Government has at times been on the verge of collapse.
But, she said that her own feelings were that people wanted less drama and more focus on improving people's lives.
She said: "It has been really dramatic. The week Boris Johnson resigned, clearly something was going to happen because you could see little huddles of Conservative MPs in dark corners, you could see the plotting, it felt very Roman empire.
"I think people would prefer politics to be a little more boring, about how are we going to solve people's problems."
Mrs Morgan said her own inbox reflected two of the biggest problems facing not only the county, but the country – the NHS and the cost of living crisis.
She said: "The biggest issue facing North Shropshire and the whole country is around the cost of living and the crisis in the health services.
"If you look at our casework inbox that is what dominates it. Cost of living has increased as an issue but health services have been a constant problem since the by-election and there are huge challenges that are probably getting worse not better."
She also pointed to the different ways cost of living problems hit residents, with rural areas finding existing problems compounded by the crisis.
She said: "The cost of living crisis has been an issue across the country but it bites a bit more in a rural area like North Shropshire so keeping banging the drum to make sure we get the support we need through. That will be very important and I think when these current packages expire in the spring I think we will have a problem ahead of us."
Despite the whirlwind 12 months and the impact on her family life, Mrs Morgan said she wouldn't change a thing.
She said: "I had a conversation with my husband the other week and he said to me 'If you won the lottery would you want to retire?', and he said 'I don't know why I am asking, I know you wouldn't"."
She added: "It is really hard work but I enjoy getting up every day and seeing how I can make a difference."
