One of the Defra ministerial roles has gone to the MP for Suffolk Coastal, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, who has chaired the Labour Rural Research Group of MPs which has sought to promote a positive policy agenda for rural Britain. A small step, perhaps, but potentially a sign that the new Prime Minister and his new Defra Secretary, Angela Eagle, might seek to reset the government’s relationship with the countryside after the disastrous mishandling of rural issues over the last two years.

Last year was the United Kingdom's worst year for wildfires on record with more than 46,000 hectares of ground burnt across the UK and at a cost of £460 million. Yet despite this the government went ahead with its extension to the ban on burning of heather and grasslands on deep peat in our uplands, ignoring the rigorous science and evidence available.

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The Countryside Alliance held its annual ‘Rural Oscars’ awards ceremony on Wednesday 8 July at the House of Lords in London, kindly hosted by Lord Hart of Tenby. The event was attended by both MPs and Peers, as rural businesses from across the UK were crowned champions across a range of categories, including best local food and drink, best butcher, best pub, best rural enterprise, and best village shop or post office.

The countryside faces its greatest challenge for a generation. Become a member today and help us fight damaging legislation, defend rural freedoms and protect our rural way of life. 

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