Support our agenda to empower communities, protect services and revive the economy in Rural England.
Rural England has suffered a decade of disrespect under Labour. Local services have been withdrawn and power has been taken away by a remote and arrogant government.
 

• 200 fewer rural schools than when Labour came to power
• 1,400 rural post offices have been lost since 2000
• 384 police stations closed in the shires in Labour’s first two terms
• Dramatically widened funding gap between urban and rural areas
   

We need a Conservative agenda for Rural Action that will:
RESPECT RURAL PEOPLE

• Give rural communities a voice to decide their own future
•  Respect the rural way of life
• Only regulate where self-regulation fails
• Ensure Ministers understand rural concerns through new rural advisory groups
• Fairer rural funding
   

EMPOWER RURAL COMMUNITIES

• Return real power to individuals and communities
• Give villages the right to build their own affordable homes
• Allow councils to oppose development planned for green belt land
   

PROTECT RURAL SERVICES

• Realise the social value of vital rural services like post offices
• Give parents the power to stop rural schools closing and open new ones
• Allow rural public services to diversify
• Pilot new rural transport solutions
   

REVIVE THE RURAL ECONOMY

• Cut tax rates for small businesses to encourage growth and protect jobs
• Allow councils to offer rural business rate discounts
• Simplify the planning system to improve accountability
• Reduce the burden of regulation to give businesses more freedom