Last Sunday (28 September) the Countryside Alliance continued its party conference programme with a reception at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool.

We were delighted to welcome Jennifer Riddell-Carpenter, MP for Suffolk Coastal and Chair of the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG), as a speaker at the event, which was well-attended by Labour MPs, councillors and party members.

Made up of 26 rural Labour MPs, the LRRG has been set up to bring forward research, evidence and policy ideas that will help unlock the potential of rural communities while highlighting the challenges the countryside faces, with the understanding that rural areas should be at the heart of national ambitions.

Speaking about the challenges facing rural communities, Jennifer Riddell-Carpenter said:

"It is an undeniable truth that our rural areas have been left behind; they have been too easily overlooked or too frequently misunderstood. This culture of failing to understand – and then failing to serve – our rural areas is a truth that has prevailed in successive governments, of all colours and political persuasions.

"As MPs representing this so-called ‘Rural Wall’, we now have a responsibility to ensure that rural communities are front and centre of the Labour Government’s mission for inclusive growth and opportunity. That’s why nearly 30 Labour MPs from rural and semi-rural areas across England, Scotland, and Wales came together to form the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG), which I chair. Our mission is simple: to ensure rural voices are no longer ignored and that our rural communities are at the centre of national conversations about growth, opportunity, and our country’s future."

Ms Riddell-Carpenter spoke about the LRRG's recent report, Understanding Rural Britain, which identified the necessity for a distinct rural strategy to address issues such as rural services and the future of farming and food production. She further stressed the importance of rural communities, stating that "Labour can't afford to take our rural heartlands for granted - we can't deliver our mission without our rural areas".

We welcomed Ms Riddell-Carpenter's constructive line, and hope that we will see this appreciation for the importance of the countryside translated into positive action and policy.

Our party conference season is nearly over now, having now run events at the Reform UK, Liberal Democrat, and Labour Party conferences. We look forward to engaging with representatives from the Conservatives about how they will be promoting the countryside and supporting rural communities, in a few days time at the Conservative Party Conference.