Conservatives share vision for the future of the countryside

The Countryside Alliance presence at the Conservative Party Conference has seen an exceptional start as a stellar array of speakers led a discussion of the Party’s vision for the future of the countryside. Speaking on the panel were the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey MP; Greg Smith, the MP for Buckingham; regenerative farmer and consultant Jonty Brunyee; and Conservative Rural Forum chair Lizzie Hacking. 

Greg Smith spoke first, arguing that the rural agenda must be placed back at the heart of policymaking. Too many decisions about the countryside, he argued, are made by people who have no understanding of rural communities. The largest-scale challenge is to get environmental land management schemes (ELMS) right, but there are many smaller issues that affect rural communities too. On oil boilers and off-grid homes, despite the recent reprieve the Government needs to move on from the idea that heat pumps will eventually be a solution for all properties. Cars, too, are essential in rural communities but alternatives to petroleum are being developed. Lastly, he related the complaints of farmers about getting planning permission for a small number of homes to house their children. Some small-scale development is needed in the countryside, and there should be a presumption that it can be done. 

Jonty Brunyee drew on his experience as an holistic farmer and said that the Conservatives must bring people together to celebrate food and farming. His business, Conygree Farm, emphasises diverse, regenerative agro-ecology, farming with nature but not exclusively for it. His challenges, however, include planning – because people cannot afford to live in the Costwolds on what he could pay them to work in his market garden – and agricultural funding, because while every acre of his farm is covered by Countryside Stewardship, qualifying for that funding costs a lot. On current trends, he said, despite his farm being an island of nature he is at risk of going bankrupt within three years, and there is ultimately a real threat that the country will not be able to produce food.

Thérèse Coffey began by congratulating the Countryside Alliance on being the sensible voice of the countryside, and commended its annual Countryside Alliance Awards as one of the best events of the year. Earlier this year, she had launched the Unleashing Rural Opportunity strategy, helping shape a vision of a thriving and vibrant countryside. Countryside Stewardship is advancing: 70% of eligible land managers have now been invited to apply, and some are already being approved. Instead of half the agriculture budget going to 10% of landowners, the Government wants to do more with that money to promote sustainability. Furthermore, she argued, the Prime Minister’s recent announcements on net zero showed that we have one of the strongest ever prime ministers in giving consideration to the countryside. Ultimately, she said, the Government wants farmers to get on with doing what they do best, so she has asked officials to look into deregulation. 

Turning squarely to politics, Lizzie Hacking quoted Lord Mandelson as saying that the countryside does not belong to the Conservatives, and argued that the party’s greatest foe is complacency. David Cameron used to be very much aligned to the countryside, but we are no longer seeing such emphasis on rural interests. The aftermath of the pandemic has changed the dynamic of the countryside and led to many more people visiting or coming to live there. She related that a farm shop in her local area had been targeted by vegans with negative reviews; the Conservatives can own that issue. The alternative to the Conservatives, she said, is the erosion of rural communities; there is a pressing need to go into the General Election together. 

Following the speakers’ initial presentations a diverse set of questions was posed from the floor. Discussion included the issue of food security in the context of the war in Ukraine; solar farms and pylons encroaching on productive farmland; community action and business rates. There was also a question as to whether and how meat consumption should be reduced in line with recommendations from the Climate Change Committee. The panel was united in opposing any compulsion and standing up for freedom of choice, but Jonty Brunyee argued for better environmental impact labelling and cutting imports of meat from harmful food systems. Greg Smith also pointed out that one of the most popular meals in hospitals is game meat, which is highly sustainable and should be eaten more. 

The Countryside Alliance was delighted to facilitate so wide-ranging and thoughtful discussion, and now looks forward to its next session that will focus on the use of animals in society.