Can Burnham’s reshuffle reset ties with rural Britain?
With a new Prime Minister in Downing Street, now is the time to listen to rural businesses and unlock the countryside’s £40bn economic potential
Britain has a new Prime Minister in Andy Burnham, a new Chancellor in John Healey and a returning face at Defra in former farming minister Angela Eagle. After years of tension between the government and rural communities, there is a real opportunity to reset the relationship.
CLA President Gavin Lane has already written to both the Prime Minister and the Defra Secretary of State with a simple message: work with rural Britain, not against it.
The Prime Minister would benefit from spending time with the farmers, land managers and rural entrepreneurs affected by his government's decisions. There is no substitute for hearing first-hand both the challenges that they face and the contribution they make to communities across the country. That is why we have asked Mr Burnham to lead a discussion with rural businesses.
With the right policies – by listening to rural businesses – the rural economy could contribute an additional £40bn to the UK's growth
But this potential will remain out of reach if the UK Government continues to make it harder for rural businesses to survive and grow.
The previous government's changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) did exactly that. Even after a partial reversal, family businesses still face tax bills that can force land sales, deter investment and weaken growth. Many have already scaled back investment, shelved diversification projects or reduced staffing.
Reversing the APR and BPR changes would be an early and unmistakable signal that the government is serious about growth in every postcode.
‘Working with MPs, not against them’
As a non-political organisation, the CLA works with all parties to champion the countryside. That's why we supported the Labour Rural Research Group's recent report, The Future of the Rural Economy. Polling for the report found that 63% of voters think Labour should make rural communities a higher priority.
The report's recommendations, from certainty for environmental schemes to action on infrastructure constraints and expanded permitted development rights for farm reservoirs, show a growing recognition among Labour MPs of rural Britain's potential. As Mr Burnham pledges to strengthen the link between Downing Street and Parliament, these MPs will have his ear in a way they did not under Starmer, which is why we are working with Labour MPs, not against them.
The final Defra ministerial line-up also offers an early clue as to where priorities may lie under Burnham. Jenny Riddell-Carpenter's appointment as Nature and Rural Communities Minister is encouraging given her strong interest in rural issues through chairing the Labour Rural Research Group. More striking, however, is that water has been given a more senior ministerial position than farming, underlining how issues such as sewage pollution, water infrastructure and water company reform have moved to the top of the political agenda. The appointments also show why building relationships across Parliament matters. The MPs and groups helping to shape Labour's rural thinking are now increasingly finding themselves in positions of influence.
Similarly, we will be supporting an upcoming report from a cross-party group of MPs on how to make devolution, a central pillar of the Burnham agenda, work in practice for rural areas.
The opportunity is there to turn the page on years of strained relations between Westminster and the countryside. Rural businesses do not want special treatment. They want a government that understands their contribution, listens to their concerns and backs their ambitions to grow.
If the new government is serious about growth in every postcode, rural Britain must be part of the solution. Now is the time for a genuine reset.
