51AVÊÓÆµ

From the editor: Ignoring rural communities could prove costly at the ballot box

With all the chaos circling Westminster and departments such as Defra, it is no wonder Labour is pummelling the Conservatives in the polls.

Olivia Midgley
Editorial Director
clock • 2 min read
From the editor: Ignoring rural communities could prove costly at the ballot box

With all the chaos circling Westminster and departments such as Defra, it is no wonder Labour is pummelling the Conservatives in the polls.

While voters are consistently being told by mainstream media that the next General Election is Labours for the taking, the party may have to work harder to win the rural vote.

A bullish Shadow Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner told FG this week that rural communities were made up of more than just farmers, with health service professionals, civil servants and other businesses making up the voting electorate.

That may be why, then, when asked about red flags in Labours manifesto, such as opening up access to the countryside even further by passing a right to roam act, and a commitment to end the badger cull in favour of badger and cattle vaccinations to control bovine TB, Mr Zeichner stood firm.

Riding on a wave of Conservative Party failings is all well and good, but potentially harmful policies, which these could be for the countryside and the communities making their living from it, could cost Labour come election time.

In Scotland, Green Party proposals to bring back lynx after a 500-year absence are once again gathering traction.

Farmers fear that the power the party now has under the alliance with the SNP could mean their concerns over the threat these predators pose to livestock are ignored.

With local and national elections on the horizon, the politicking will undoubtedly intensify, particularly as parties grapple with their own internal issues and the PR headaches which ensue.

For those on the ground whose lives depend on the decisions made by those in charge, there is no other option but to dig in and carry on.

But parties which choose to ignore the sentiments of these powerful rural communities may end up suffering at the ballot box.

Perhaps this is why the Liberal Democrats have set their sights firmly on the countryside vote.

And finally:

A warm welcome to our new In Your Field writer Alan Carter and his family.

More on 51AVÊÓÆµLife

Over 100 farmers received prostate and skin cancer checks at NSA sheep event

Over 100 farmers received prostate and skin cancer checks at NSA sheep event

The tests and checks were organised as part of the Rural Communities Cancer Project

Mia Willemsen
clock 01 August 2026 • 2 min read
Dairy sheep open up new opportunities for Dartmoor farm

Dairy sheep open up new opportunities for Dartmoor farm

A think outside the box mindset and passion for farming has been the driving force for Jess Dagnall in establishing Dartmoor’s first sheep dairy

Athwenna Irons
clock 30 July 2026 • 7 min read
Vinnie Jones says harvest is his favourite time of year

Vinnie Jones says harvest is his favourite time of year

The actor, former footballer and farming champion showcases rural life through his show Vinnie Jones in the Country

Mia Willemsen
clock 28 July 2026 • 3 min read