The Rural Services Network is in Parliament today launching its manifesto asks of the political parties.

The report will be launched with a number of MPs in a session hosted by Derek Thomas MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Rural Services.

It will feature a panel session including the Chair of the Rural Services Network Cllr Roger Phillips.

Ahead of the general election due to take place later this year, the RSN embarked on a wide ranging consultation with its member organisations during 2023 to produce a clear set of asks of the political parties to adopt in their manifestos.

We are at a moment in time where rural public services are underfunded, and expensive to provide, houses are unaffordable for local people, public transport provision is patchy and the rural economy is not getting the support it needs to grow and prosper, as digital and mobile connectivity lags behind that of the rest of the country.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

40% of constituencies are rural, and these votes will be tightly contested at the next election. 

The rural roadmap, ‘Winning the Rural Vote’ provides the answers for political parties and policy makers and the benefit of these policies would be felt not only by rural communities, but by the nation as a whole.

The challenges rural communities face cannot be tackled in isolation, our communities need homes they can afford, with good jobs, connectivity to enable businesses to grow, and access to public services that are fairly funded.

You can read more about Winning the Rural Vote at this link