Welcome
Rural England has suffered a decade of disrespect by Labour. Quiet communities have become angered by a government which won’t even listen, still less give them a say.
People have marched and protested. They have travelled up to Westminster to lobby Parliament. But too often Ministers are deaf to the countryside. Local services have been withdrawn, rural communities have been denied a voice, and power has been taken away from local people.
We desperately need a new government which understands rural areas and cares about them. Our agenda for Rural Action sets out the approach a future Conservative Government would take.
We will reverse the trend of centralisation and end the years of thoughtless dictat from Whitehall, so that rural communities and the rural way of life are respected.
We will return real power and decision-making to individuals and communities, so that people have a genuine say over the matters that affect them locally. And we will unlock the potential of the rural economy to deliver jobs from sustainable businesses of the future.
Farming is vital to our nation and to the social and economic life of rural areas, and because of its importance we will set out our proposals for British agriculture separately. This agenda for Rural Action focuses on the wider rural economy.
The Conservative Party has always drawn its support from town and country alike. We know that rural communities are crying out to be heard. They should no longer be ignored.
Nick Herbert MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Jim Paice MP
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Rural Affairs
