Policy
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Putting people, nature, food & energy security at the heart of Labour’s vision for England
The government’s land use framework must put people, nature, food & energy security at the heart of Labour’s vision for England. Rob Wakely It’s been great to see policies I worked on for years with Labour’s shadow environment team finally becoming reality. In opposition we had to watch on as Tory Ministers ducked action on…
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Britain’s 5G rollout is being held back by a policy almost no one has heard of
Dave Robertson, MP for Lichfield, Burntwood, and the villages No MP or councillor in rural Britain needs me to tell them that mobile-phone service must urgently improve. Usable signal – which in 2026, should mean high-quality 5G – is an essential. Yet Britain has the slowest 5G rollout in the G7. The cost is stark…
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The Rural Services Network on fair funding
Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of Rural Services Network The Rural Services Network this year celebrates its 30 year anniversary since it was first formed as a group of local authorities coming together to look at the disparity in funding for rural councils. Whilst the Network has grown significantly and has a substantial reputation for being…
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How MPs, and the rest of us, can help people be flood prepared: Using Flood CPR
Lee Pitcher, MP for Doncaster East & the Isle of Axholm It’s the most frequently recorded natural disaster in the world, and has seen more than a doubling of events in Europe since 2004. Hazard a guess what that might be? Yes – Flooding! In the same way that too little water at any one time…
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Not connected, you’re excluded: every community can thrive when it is digitally included
Dan Aldridge MP Digital inclusion is fast becoming one of the most important drivers of opportunity in the UK, and nowhere is its impact more transformational than in coastal and rural communities such as my constituency of Weston-super-Mare. These areas face higher levels of deprivation than the national average, fewer large employers and more seasonal,…
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A Level Playing Field for our High Streets: dealing with the ‘dodgy’ shops
Melanie Onn, MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes From Crewe to Cleethorpes, olde worlde market towns and traditional British seaside retreats alike have found themselves home to new visitors. No matter where you are in the country, no village is safe from the peculiarly empty but flashy creeping prominence of these ‘new businesses’. Popping up,…
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Team Plymouth – A Step into Our City’s Future
Fred Thomas MP The week before last in Parliament saw the official launched of Team Plymouth – the city’s ambitious new partnership for defence-driven growth. The room was full of people who care deeply about Plymouth: leaders from industry, our universities and colleges, defence, local government, and national government. Many of them have been a…
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Cornwall: Beyond the Postcard
Perran Moon, MP for Camborne, Redruth & Hayle Cornwall is a land of extraordinary beauty, rich heritage, and proud communities. As the Member of Parliament for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, I’m often struck by how much easier it is to persuade Ministers to visit during the summer months as they often reminisce about childhood holidays…
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Deputy Leadership candidates answer C&C questions
Thanks to positive engagement from both Deputy Leader campaign teams please see their responses to our Coast & Country questions; we hope that helps you decide how you will vote; and will give us a Deputy Leader we can work with to continue Labour’s presence and representation of communities of Coast & of Country. Bridget’s…
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Fair Funding for Rural Areas
Kerry Booth, Chief Executive of Rural Services Network Public services are the backbone of this country, quietly carrying on in the background, making sure that our bins our emptied, our children can get to school, and our most vulnerable are cared for. At the Rural Services Network we believe that every council should have the…