Published
Findings come ahead of the launch of Campaign for the Countryside in Westminster tomorrow, with former Prime Minister David Cameron and former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett speaking.
New polling has exposed the scale of Andy Burnham’s challenge in winning over the countryside, with just 15% of those living in rural communities agreeing that the Labour party cares about the people that live and work there.
But the findings also point to a clear opportunity for the government. Over a quarter (28%) of rural residents said they would be more likely to vote Labour if the party resets its relationship with those communities. This was particularly true for voters in Wales and Scotland. Nationally, 24% of all voters said the same.
Across Great Britain as a whole, nearly twice as many people believe that the government does not care about countryside people - 22% agree that they do, while 38% disagree. A majority of all those surveyed (55%) agreed that the government favours cities over the countryside. Only one in ten (11%) disagreed with this statement.
The national survey of 2,081 adults by ORB International for the Countryside Alliance reveals that nearly half (43%) of those living in rural areas now feel the government has “waged war on the countryside”.
Analysis from the rural campaigning organisation has revealed 27 damaging policies have been imposed on rural communities since 2024 — from the family farm tax and National Insurance rises, to affordability checks on horse racing, plans to ban trail hunting and restrict game shooting.
When asked to rank the issues that will drive their vote at the next election, the public placed the cost of living, NHS and immigration at the top. ‘Banning trail hunting and shooting’ were ranked as of least importance from the list of ten issues facing the electorate at the next election.
The fresh insights come ahead of the launch of the Countryside Alliance’s ‘Campaign For The Countryside’, at an event in Westminster tomorrow (Monday 14 September).
Leaders of the most affected rural policies will be meeting to urge Andy Burnham to reset the government’s relationship with the countryside, with representatives from farming, shooting, racing and trail hunting in attendance.
Former Prime Minister David Cameron (Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton), former NFU President and crossbench peer Minette Batters (Baroness Batters) and former Labour Home Secretary David Blunkett (Lord Blunkett) will speak at the event.
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance said: “These findings are powerful because they show not only how crucial it is for the government to undo the mistakes of the past, but also the opportunity which a rural reset could bring.
“The poll is a warning of the dangers for the government on focusing on issues that don’t actually matter to the public, as well as clear encouragement to drop or change damaging policies and re-engage with rural communities”.