We received this response from Kemi Badenoch's team, which we have published in full with their permission.
Thank you so much for getting in touch and highlighting to Kemi the valued work of the Conservative Rural Forum and its members. I apologise for the time taken to come back - but Kemi has been travelling the country speaking to members.
We are very grateful to you for highlighting the issues important to your members. Kemi understands the importance of specific conversations and the focus on particular areas for your members. She has been travelling all over the country already, answering questions from party members about a wide range of issues and she is looking forward to many more meetings in weeks ahead.
I assure you that, as someone representing a seat with a large number of rural areas, Kemi has always tried hard to ensure the voice of our rural communities is heard, including on issues such as food security, local infrastructure provision, and economic development.
Kemi’s campaign is based on one central truth: that the Conservative Party needs to renew. To do that, we need to go back to first principles about what it is to be a Conservative and only then set out specific policies. We know Labour are not going to deal with the challenges our country faces so it is essential that we build a new agenda to defeat them in 2029.
While Kemi supports the work of the Conservative Rural Forum, she is keen not to be drawn into whether she supports a particular agenda or commitment at this stage. We need a fresh start over the coming years, and must not rush into specific policies simply to try to win the current leadership election. A rush to policy now risks disappointing people in future - one of the reasons so many people lost faith in our party was we made conflicting promises that individually seemed good and sensible, but meant our agenda as a whole was undeliverable.
We hope that as a result, you will understand the reasons for Kemi not specifically responding to your questions at this time. She would, however, be delighted to talk to as many of your members and supporters as possible at the events around the country that she is attending.
Kemi looks forward to hearing from your members and supporters in the coming weeks ahead, as she sets out her vision of Conservative renewal.
Thanks again for taking the time to get in touch.