At the opening of parliament on 17th July 2024, The King’s Speech highlighted a series of legislative priorities aimed at addressing critical national issues. A number of these new bills hold significant implications for rural communities, which often face unique challenges that differ from their urban counterparts.

At the Rural Services Network, we are committed to ensuring that the voices and needs of rural areas are recognised and addressed in national policy. Our 'Rural Lens' review offers a detailed analysis of how the legislative measures detailed in The King’s Speech align with the interests and needs of rural communities.

You can read the full Rural Lens Review by clicking on the image below:

At a glance, the Rural Lens raises these key points:

• Overall, across the 39 Bills (see full list in the Appendix to this Rural Lens Review) referred to there is little in the King’s Speech that appears to directly address issues of concern to rural people, communities or businesses, as opposed to other areas.
• The opening words of The King's Speech state “My Government’s legislative programme will be mission led and based on the principles of security, fairness and opportunity for all. The Labour Party Manifesto on this subject said “Britain needs a new approach: mission-driven government. Mission-driven government means raising our sights as a nation and focusing on ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that provide a driving sense of purpose for the country. It means a new way of doing government that is more joined up, pushes power out to communities and harnesses new technology” The RSN would comment that, fundamentally in a Mission Led approach, there is the need to protect rural communities by ensuring that the metrics used to devise strategies or programmes for growth (including skills) are not based on ‘one-size-fits-all’ thinking but reflect the disadvantage in rural economies within regions.
• It will be essential that the Government fully ‘rural proofs’ its ambitions, proposals, and delivery plans. In order for rural communities to be sustainable, mainstream policies must be workable in rural areas. Change is needed to overcome years of under investment and public sector austerity and issues with the rural policy framework.
• A key question is ‘How will the Government ensure that rural communities and businesses get a ‘fair share’ of the resources and outcomes proposed’? The RSN continues to argue the need for a cross-department Rural Strategy.
• An essential first step must be to review the funding formulae used to distribute funding to Councils and all other bodies delivering services to rural areas. Without this the promised outputs will be unfairly distributed if delivered through the current formulae.

In practice there is relatively little detail given. It will not be possible to fully understand rural impacts (both beneficial and non-beneficial) until the draft bills are presented to Parliament. The RSN will review the Bills at that point “through a rural lens”, and where appropriate will fully consult with its members. We must bring to the Government’s attention any ‘unintended consequences’ as we see them.