Election 2024: What’s on the rural agenda?

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What are the big issues that rural voters, including landowners, farmers and rural estate owners, will want to hear about from politicians, as the General Election date draws closer?

The big ticket items are already dominating the national debate, including the economy, taxation the NHS, illegal migration and support for pensioners. 

But policies that directly affect rural communities will be scrutinised particularly closely across the rural sector and, if implemented by an incoming government, could have a big impact.

Landowners and developers will be keen to know what all the major parties plan to do to plug the housing gap.  The UK needs an estimated 300,000 new homes a year to meet demand yet is building just over 200,000.

Negotiating the twin challenges of meeting the housing need while remaining mindful of public opposition to ‘concreting over the countryside’ has been a challenge for the Conservatives. MPs and ministers have come under pressure from homeowners opposed to new development and many have sought to block house-building plans to satisfy constituents.

Both parties have pledged themselves to break the logjam holding up planning applications and to boost house-building – with Labour looking the more ambitious, pledging new towns on what they have dubbed ‘greybelt’ – officially designated greenbelt land that is of little value.

Farmers want some stability after the uncertainties generated by Brexit and the sea-change in financial support now the UK is no longer subject to Europe’s Common Agricultural Policy. 

There are hopes the Conservatives, who have hosted farming leaders at Downing Street in recent months, will meet at least some of the demands made by the food and farming sector, which is worth around £120 billion a year to the UK economy. 

Labour, not traditionally seen as the party of the countryside, will nevertheless be keen to avoid marginalising any group, including farmers. With food security an increasingly important issue for voters as global instability grows, Keir Starmer’s party is likely to put down some markers in its manifesto to ensure Britain can keep on feeding itself.

It is unlikely, as the election draws closer, that specific rural issues will dominate the debate.  But country estate owners and rural business leaders will be examining the small print in the pledges made by each of the main parties to work out their direction of travel and what might be in store from whoever forms the government after July 4.

WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

House building – Labour is promising more new towns, building on what it has dubbed ‘grey belt’ land which, the party believes, provides little environmental benefit and could meet the housing need in areas where it is most required.

Taxation – Economists are already warning that with borrowing at record levels and more needed to deliver Labour’s promises on the NHS and the Conservatives initiatives including a cut in National Insurance and plans to introduce a form of national service for teenagers, new taxes will be needed.  One possibility is that land taxes and wealth taxes could be on the horizon.  The International Monetary Fund says a £30 bn hole in UK finances will have to be filled later this year if public spending levels are to be maintained. 

Farming and the environment – Labour and Conservatives are both likely to broadly maintain the current course with more environmental schemes – although both are also likely to stress the need for food security and to elevate the importance of food production in answer to public concern.  Canny farmers are increasingly adopting the measures necessary to access grant funding and deliver for the environment. Many might find green schemes or producing energy from solar farms and crops is more lucrative than filling supermarket shelves.

Rural business – Rural campaigners have long argued that, with the right support from government, the countryside can deliver far more for Britain’s economy.  This is a growth area both parties may want to try to exploit – but striking a balance between rural business expansion and preserving the countryside may be an issue.

Climate crisis – The Tories have already taken a broadly popular step in easing back on what many saw as too tough a position on reducing greenhouse gases.  Labour have followed suit, abandoning its most ambitious green proposals.  Some voters may be disappointed at both parties’ policies in this area, but others will welcome a shift away from measures that looked excessively demanding on households.

Rural crime – Country areas can feel vulnerable to criminal activity and a lack of police visibility in rural parts of the country is regularly cited as a concern of rural voters.  Seemingly niche crimes, like livestock theft, the loss of expensive farm equipment and machinery and fly tipping all need greater attention from the politicians and, in turn, the police. Rural voters will be looking for a lead from the new government on this issue.

Countryside access – This looked like a point of difference between Labour and the Conservatives, although initial proposals from Labour to introduce a Scottish-style right to roam in England and Wales appear to be have been substantially watered down.  The Conservatives have said they are committed to working with farmers and landowners to improve access to the countryside.

The countryside and country sports – Labour pledged, even before the election was called, to ban trail hunting.  The Conservatives have already insisted they will make no change to the Hunting Act.  Both parties are said to be broadly supportive of shooting, although pressure may come from Labour MPs to tighten the law on game shooting if the party wins power.

Connectivity – Both Labour and the Conservatives have pledged to improve rural broadband and mobile phone coverage, but for the most hard-to-reach areas progress has been slow.  It is widely acknowledged that for business, education and leisure in the countryside, ultra-fast broadband and full mobile coverage are vital.