The review of rural Britain will look at promoting innovation in the rural economy, "ensuring fairness for all families", feeding Britain, food security, and promoting competitive farming. Advisers include Christine Tacon of Co-operative Farms and Sir John Harman, the former chair of the Environment Agency.
Tom Clark writes:
By some definitions, Labour won the majority of rural seats in the 1997 landslide, but it has now lost the great bulk of these, and been reduced to its urban strongholds. It will be hoping this review can help it win the countryside back, although the mixed remit of stoking development, protecting farming and village shops, while also protecting nature, reads like a recipe for motherhood and organic apple pie. If it wants to show it has the teeth to defend rural communities, should the party promise to rewrite competition law, so small shops and farmers are protected against the pricing power of the supermarket? Or should the party not worry about those who produce food, and focus instead on the majority who want to eat it at the lowest possible cost?
