The main parties on Rural Services

The main parties have now launched their manifestos ahead of the General Election on 7th May. We bring you the main points from each one relating to a key part of our own manifesto - rural services. Read our own manifesto chapter on rural services here.

Conservative

• Invest £13 billion in road improvements and extensions


• Electrify the main rail routes and continue support for HS2


• Secure the future of 3,000 rural post offices


• End new subsidies for onshore windfarms and change the law so that local people have the final say on windfarm applications

• Increase the local government budget by £10 billion to allow councils to restore essential local services


• Re-nationalise the railways and scrap the Government's support for HS2


• Significant investment in bus transport in rural areas


• Introduction of 20mph and 40mph speed limits on rural roads

• Safeguard the public interest in Royal Mail by keeping the remaining 30% in public ownership


• Support the Universal Service Obligation ensuring competition does not undermine it and introduce protections as necessary


• Abolish Police and Crime Commissioners and introduce a new statutory local Policing Commitment


• Continue support for HS2

• Electrify the main rail routes, reopen smaller stations and continue support for HS2


• Support the Universal Service Obligation and no further post office closures in the next Parliament


• Introduce 'retained' police officers available to respond when needed to increase police presence in rural communities


• Continue the fuel discount scheme for remote areas and extend it to additional remote areas with high fuel costs


• Develop the Community Budgets model for use in rural areas to combine services, helping to keep rural services like GP surgeries, pharmacies, post offices and libraries open
  


• Encourage onshore wind in appropriate locations

• Scrap the Government's support for HS2


• Reduce the number of Police and Crime Commissioners


• Amend the smoking ban to give pubs the choice to open smoking rooms


• Scrap all subsidies for wind and solar power


• Abolish the Barnett Formula for Scotland funding