Let’s hear it for the countryside

ANEW report by the All-party Parliamentary Group set out ‘a comprehensive growth plan’ to create jobs and opportunities in rural areas. Arguing that ‘Rural Britain is not a museum’, the group highlighted an urgent need to boost the countryside’s economy, calling for improved connectivity, investments in skill development, a solution to farming’s labour shortages and low supply-chain prices, provision of agricultural advice and planning, political and tax policies that support rural productivity.

The CLA welcomed the report, with president Mark Tufnell saying: ‘It is vital that the interests of the rural economy are included in the Government’s levelling-up agenda. The findings of this inquiry outline clear recommendations that can be taken to unlock the full potential of the countryside.’