How will you ensure the protection and enhancement of UK food security, support sustainable farming practices, and balance food production needs with environmental commitments and renewable energy installations?
British farmers and food producers work tirelessly to supply food to the highest standards in the UK. Not only that, our farmers are also custodians of the environment, stewards of our land, rivers, woodlands, and wildlife habitats. Their role in enhancing biodiversity and mitigating climate change cannot be overstated. As an MP representing one of the most rural constituencies in the country for the past fourteen years, I know how vital it is that we strike the right balance between environmental conservation and food security. Navigating the complexities of this rapidly changing world and global events, such as the impact of the war in Ukraine on energy prices, the resilience of our rural economy and protecting food security is becoming more and more important.
The Conservatives in government had a clear plan to support farming businesses, improve food security and protect British agriculture for generations to come through a £427 million injection into the farming sector, marking the largest-ever round of grants. That included supporting farmers to invest in automation and robotics, as well as solar installations to build on-farm energy security. I know that the CRF was supportive of this measure and strengthening such commitments will be a focus of mine if I were to become the next Conservative leader as a strong voice for the farming industry.
As Leader, I would emphasise the urgency for technological advancement and greater efficiency that is needed not only for locally driven food security but also for sustainability. That includes supporting projects such as the agri-food Launchpad and the New Innovators in agri-tech and food technology in Mid and North Wales, which can act as catalysts for innovation and technological advancements to propel the agri-food sector into a new era of growth and sustainability. In balancing farming with sustainability, we must also prioritise homes and industrial buildings delivering solar and other renewable energy generation before using productive farmland. In order to keep our country moving forward with green renewables we must ensure that our countryside also remains as green as possible.
I will continue to support the Buy Local campaign, encouraging everyone to support our farmers and food producers to boost rural jobs, reduce food miles between farm and fork and help the British farming sector to thrive.
But none of this matters if we have no-one to farm. It is estimated that the average age of a farmer in the UK is around 60 and that less than 3% of our farmers are under the age of 35. I am lucky that my constituency boasts the rural hub of the Devon Federation of Young Farmers, so I am often able to meet with the ambitious and knowledgeable future of farming, but there is still not enough young blood in the industry. Places across the country like Bicton College, Suffolk New College and Easton College are bringing more young people into the agricultural industry through apprenticeships. I would like to support more agri-tech apprenticeships as well.
What specific policies will you implement to support rural communities, in areas such as maintaining broadband and mobile coverage, addressing rural crime, improving rural public transport and banking facilities, and ensuring housing for local residents while preserving rural character and landscape?
As Mid-Devon’s MP for over a decade I understand the modern issues that affect rural communities better than most, as well as how much we all cherish our countryside. Rural areas are rich in human and natural potential with strong communities and entrepreneurial businesses, so good connectivity is essential for everyone. In my own constituency I have long championed better connectivity, so I was delighted when more than 3,000 homes and businesses in Okehampton were able to access ‘Full Fibre’ broadband speeds, and ‘Connecting Dartmoor and Exmoor’ delivered superfast and improved broadband coverage which enabled around 5,000 homes and businesses to get better connected.
I was also pleased by the previous Government’s commitment to improve broadband in hard to reach areas, even creating a Rural Connectivity Champion. Project Gigabit, with an investment of £5 billion, has meant that 162,600 rural houses and businesses now have access to lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband, but we must go further and ensure that Labour does not row back on our targets. To see the rural economy truly prosper, and take advantage of current and future technology, there needs to be a focus of the digital infrastructure in rural areas, both public and private sectors working together to create better connectivity which in turn leads to more opportunity for economic growth and job opportunities.
It’s also vital that we have a reliable public transport network to serve and connect rural areas, which was why we invested £300 million to protect bus services, keeping bus travel affordable. But we also need to look towards more innovative solutions like the new on-demand bus transport service launched in West Berkshire, allowing users to book journeys through an app, online, or by phone, meaning they do not have to rely on sporadic bus timetables.
Inevitably, however, a lot of journeys will be made by car and a major cost for people across the country is the damage caused to their car from poor road management. As Leader I will be a champion for fixing our roads. Potholes are a blight that need to be fixed. I will make it a priority to hold Labour to account and improve the standard of our roads, so people can travel to their family, friends and local shops without costly fixes.
Rural communities also need reliable community services, whether that’s a local bank branch or a local police station. For many people it is reassuring to speak face-to-face with a police officer to address their concerns. So in my constituency, I campaigned for the new police front desk in Okehampton which will make it easier to contact the police to seek help, crime prevention advice or report a crime. As Leader I will fight for more police front desks, greater recruitment of police officers in rural communities and for every rural police force to have a dedicated rural crime team to tackle issues such as fly tipping, livestock worrying and theft.
There has also been a significant problem with the closure of banks across the country and its negative impact on the rural community. As Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, I spoke out in the House of Commons against Barclays Bank’s refusal to let their customers withdraw money at local Post Office branches, resulting in Barclay’s reversing their decision. I have since battled with Royal Mail over the removal of local sorting offices and challenged high street banks to better inform their customers of the banking services available at local Post Offices.
I have always done what I can to support the building of affordable housing, for example through supporting the creation of local Community Land Trusts. During my time as a Treasury Minister we increased funding for affordable housing from £7 billion to £9 billion. We need to build more homes, but not on our green spaces. I will retain our cast-iron commitment to protect the Green Belt from uncontrolled development, whilst ensuring more homes get built where it makes sense. With the upcoming grey belt proposal from Government, as Leader, I will constantly challenge Labour to ensure that our countryside is not concreted over.
How will you support the economic development of rural areas beyond farming, including initiatives to boost local businesses, enhance public services, and create job opportunities to ensure the vitality and sustainability of rural economies?
My background is in business. I am an entrepreneur, starting my own business from scratch and growing it for 25 years before being elected to Parliament. I understand the pressures and demands of trying to grow a company. Small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy and of communities across our county and need support in the face of significant challenges, both global and domestic. Around 23% of businesses in England are registered in rural areas. As a Treasury Minister I advocated for reducing business rates for the majority of small high street traders by a third.
I also recognise the importance of local pubs to our community, which is why in 2015 I campaigned for scrapping the beer duty escalator. A pub in my constituency, the Drewe Arms, recently reopened when a group of locals came together to form a community benefit society in the hope of purchasing the pub. The mission was a success and over 600 people became shareholders, raising enough money for the pub to be bought and refurbished. I will continue to support and champion the alcohol duty freeze, to help not only local pub owners but also local people who wish to maintain their community spaces.
As an MP I have partnered with Google to bring free digital skills training to Central Devon, and have worked with Connecting Devon and Somerset and other organisations to improve rural broadband coverage. I also led the successful campaign for a regular passenger rail service between Okehampton and Exeter via Crediton. The Dartmoor Loop has since delivered a massive economic boost through increased tourism and better access to jobs, education, and training opportunities.
National policy development needs to be better informed by local knowledge and local practice from rural areas. Local Skills Improvement Plans have been great at starting this, joining together local businesses, skills providers and students. However, more could be done for employees once in a business. As suggested by Professor Mark Shucksmith OBE, we should ensure that the principles of the ‘Good/Fair Work’ agendas are applied in rural areas in the same way that they are in urban locations, offering training, upskilling and career progression opportunities.
As Leader, I will ensure that the Conservative Party fights for rural areas and communities, backing British business and farming, and helping everyone get the opportunities they deserve. We must restore trust, deliver change and win the next election.“
Read what the other leadership contenders had to say.