Rural communities are crying out to be heard
Author: Nick Herbert MP, ConservativeHome |
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. Local services have been withdrawn, rural communities have been denied a voice, and power has been taken away from local people.
Many of the challenges people face in the countryside are currently ignored because they are masked by an appearance of prosperity. But 1.6 million people are living in rural poverty. Motoring costs in rural areas are higher and public transport is thin on the ground. And there is a serious shortage of affordable housing.
Labour has exacerbated these problems by failing to appreciate the social value of rural institutions such as post offices, village pubs and small shops. 1,400 rural post offices have disappeared since the year 2000. There are now 200 fewer rural schools than when Labour came to power. 384 police stations closed in the shires in Labour’s first two terms.