Tackling poverty and social exclusion is at the very core of the Labour Party’s agenda. The Government has proved this, tackling pensioner poverty and child poverty with particular vigour. My concern, representing a seat in Cornwall, is that social exclusion is tackled in places where it is often unseen.
Economic and social problems are hidden in rural areas by rosy images of cricket matches and warm beer. It is also an image actively promoted by conservative elements of rural society itself.
The truth is that Cornwall has the lowest wages in the country. Other rural counties, such as Shropshire and Northumberland, are only just ahead. When Cornwall was granted Objective 1 status under the European Commission’s Structural Funds Programme it had the lowest GDP in the country. During the early 1990s rural Britain experienced increased unemployment and homelessness, and reduced services.
A Rural Service Standard and rural proofing will ensure that ignorance is no longer an option. The appointment of Ewen Cameron as the ‘countryside czar’ gives the countryside a real voice that can rise above the narrow interests of other ‘countryside’ organisations.
New technology and innovative approaches to service provision offer opportunities for rural communities. NHS Direct has already proved to be a major asset. Key to the survival of rural post offices will be the additional services they can offer as one-stop shops for advice and points of sale for local goods. Rate relief on shops, pubs and garages will protect village life.
Transport will always be a major issue. The first Centre of Transport Excellence will be launched in Cornwall in the summer. The empowerment of parish councils will also allow them to find local solutions to these problems, such as community taxis and car sharing.
Investment is vital for all these services. Tory spending cuts threaten our countryside and villages. This must be a key message of the election campaign. One of the first e-mails I received after the 1997 General Election was a local village school asking if this Government would give them a new building. That school is getting one.
A successful rural economy relies upon the development of small business and diverse economic activity. Land and farm diversification should be encouraged through grants, and funding systems of all kinds must be conscious of the additional sparcity factor in rural areas. Affordable housing is an important issue and must be made an attractive option for young people.
Agriculture is an important part of the rural economy. The BSE crisis and fall in farm incomes meant these areas did not benefit to the same degree from the country’s recent prosperity, holding back the rural economy as a whole. While looking at short-term assistance, it is also important that farming has a long-term vision of its place as an integral part of the countryside, working with other industries and retail to add value to its product. Innovation, branding and added value are key to agriculture and targeted resources must be made available for this purpose.
Other industries, most particularly in new technologies, have for too long been the property of the commuter belt and the M4 corridor. The Government must look to how expanding new industries can be rolled out to rural Britain.
Rural Britain is distinct. It has particular problems that need particular solutions. But many priorities are shared between urban and rural settings, summed up in that phrase: ‘social exclusion’. Our political opponents construct a false divide between town and country. To counter that, Labour must continue to address the genuine problems of rural Britain.