In the Bulletin last week, The Rural Coalition set out a stark warning to the Government not to ignore the 9.7million people living in rural areas. 

The Coalition, an alliance of thirteen national organisations including the RSN, set out an urgent appeal for all political parties to empower rural areas in election manifestos to improve the prospects and opportunities for rural businesses and communities.

Speaking in the Farmers Guardian, RSN Chief Executive Kerry Booth said: “Simply adding the word to a strategy or policy does not address the real needs of our rural communities. Politicians need to understand that they must view rural in the same way they view urban and respond to the needs in a specific way. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach.”

Since then, the Coalition has continued to hammer home its point.  Following an article by Alice Thomson in The Times entitled West Country is suffering from Tory neglect, The Rural Coalition responded in an open letter to The Times applauding Ms Thomas’s findings.  The letter, which was signed by the Chair of the Coalition, Margaret Clark, and the President, The Lord Bishop of St Albans, said the piece “raises familiar issues for many people and businesses in rural England.”

It went onto say:

“Rural economies have great, untapped potential, especially in the transition to net zero.  Yet, their potential is overlooked and future growth and prosperity is hampered by structural weaknesses, failing infrastructure, poor access to key services, higher costs of living and flawed government funding formulae.

“Political parties are now building towards the next general election, and, ironically, rural England and the 9.7 million people who live there – more than in Greater London - is likely to be a key battleground. So now would be the perfect time for all parties to commit to changing how rural areas are perceived and treated in their election manifestos.”

The letter concluded by stating:

“It would be a scandal to continue to ignore the systematic inequalities that face rural communities. It is in our interests as a nation to invest in a better future for rural England, not leaving 9.7 million people behind.”

You can view the coalition's call and the full roadmap as well as the illustrative case studies by clicking on the images below.