Pleased to attend and back the launch of the Countryside Alliance’s new Campaign for the Countryside, calling for a Rural Reset, yesterday.
For the past two years, under this Labour government, the rural way of life - as we enjoy in Buckinghamshire - has been under attack.
The countryside is central to Britain’s prosperity, contributing more than £300 billion to the economy and supporting over 4 million jobs. It feeds the nation and provides enjoyment for millions. Yet the voice of the countryside has not been listened to by Government.
Damaging policies have hit the countryside hard and alienated rural communities. The family farm tax attacked the people who put food on our tables. Misguided measures on horseracing are harming the nation’s second most popular spectator sport, while greyhound racing has been banned outright in Wales and Scotland. Trail hunting is to be abolished and shooting is now under attack as well, despite their major contribution to conservation and the rural economy. All of these measures could be avoided or changed, if only their impact on the countryside was understood.
Read more about the Rural Reset campaign here.
