Letter to the PM

Dear Prime Minister,

This week senior politicians and representatives of the major rural organisations gathered in Westminster to support the launch of the Campaign for the Countryside, calling for a rural reset in the relationship between the countryside and the government.

The event demonstrated the weight of support for the countryside and the unity of rural interests faced with escalating political threats. Over the past two years an unprecedented range of government 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. A trail hunting ban is proposed and shooting is now under attack as well, despite its major contribution to conservation and the rural economy. These measures could be avoided or changed, if only their impact on the countryside was understood. The Countryside Alliance has identified 27 policies, either announced or already implemented, that have or would harm the countryside and its communities.

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 heard, and the disconnect between government and the countryside has widened. Two-thirds of voters now think that the government neglects rural people.

I believe that this can be turned around. You have promised good growth in every postcode and to speak for all parts of the country – laudable aims which deserve our support. When one in four postcodes are rural, rural communities are key to the delivery of the government's agenda, from economic growth, food security and sustainable land use to responding to climate change, energy infrastructure, water management and biodiversity. Rural businesses and communities are ready to play their part but need a government willing to work with the countryside, not against it.

I would welcome a meeting to discuss these issues. The formation of the new government presents an important opportunity for a rural reset. I urge you to leave behind unnecessary and divisive policies, and to rebuild trust with the countryside. I am certain that rural Britain will respond positively.

With kind regards.

Yours sincerely
Nick Herbert
The Rt Hon The Lord Herbert of South Downs CBE PC Chairman