CSM EDITORIAL
Our friends over at the Countryside Alliance have produced a memorable election manifesto for 2017, which we highly recommend.
The Alliance Manifesto can be downloaded here.
The five top rural priorities outlined by the Countryside Alliance’s Rural Charter are summarised as follows:
- Make Brexit work for the countryside
- Buy British by supporting our farmers and producers
- Repeal the Hunting Act and recognise the value of shooting and fishing
- Connect the countryside by delivering first class digital infrastructure
- Tackle crime in rural areas
We at Country Squire Magazine echo the Alliance’s call to vote:
“The importance of the rural vote should not be underestimated and this will be a crucial election for the countryside, perhaps even more than for the rest of the country. The next government will be the first since 1973 to create a policy for British agriculture and the management of the countryside. Rural communities, and the landscapes they conserve, must therefore be a focus for politicians of all parties that aspire to government. This is why we have produced a Rural Charter to ensure elected politicians have an understanding of the countryside and champion it in Westminster. Our countryside is a national treasure admired around the world but it is also a home and workplace for millions of people. Those who live and work there can be forgiven for feeling that the countryside is often treated as a theme park, not receiving the political support and action it needs and deserves. Rural life presents specific challenges, and candidates that aspire to government must recognises and prioritise these accordingly.”
The Alliance has produced a short video explaining why it’s so important that you do vote on June 8th: