A stark new opinion poll has laid bare a profound disconnect between the Labour government and rural communities, revealing that a significant majority of the British public believes Sir Keir Starmer's party is failing the countryside.
Poll Reveals Deep-Seated Rural Discontent
The survey, commissioned by the Countryside Alliance campaign group, found that 65 per cent of the public think the Labour Party 'unfairly neglects' those living in rural areas. Furthermore, more than three-quarters of the 2,000 Britons polled believe the government prioritises the concerns of cities and towns over the countryside.
Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, delivered a damning verdict. "When Keir Starmer said that he 'wanted a new relationship with the countryside' we all assumed he meant a better one," he said. "But in 18 months his government has alienated rural people and created the clear impression that it does not care about the countryside."
Policy Climbdowns and Economic Pain
The poll's publication coincides with a series of contentious policies affecting rural life. Most notably, Sir Keir was forced this week to water down a controversial inheritance tax change affecting family farms after 14 months of sustained protests.
The threshold at which inheritance tax will apply to agricultural estates will more than double, rising from £1 million to £2.5 million. This move is expected to halve the number of farming estates impacted by the tax, which was announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her first Budget last year.
Official figures underscore the crisis facing the sector: a record 6,270 agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses ceased trading in the year to October, according to the Office for National Statistics. While rural campaigners have called the inheritance tax adjustment "a step in the right direction," they warn that "there is more damaging policy coming down the line."
Hunting Ban and Warped Priorities
The survey also highlighted a significant gap between the government's legislative focus and the public's main concerns. The poll found that banning trail hunting – a policy Labour is planning to pursue – was not a public priority. Not a single respondent, when asked what the government's priorities should be, mentioned a hunt ban.
Instead, the public's top concerns were the economy (36 per cent), immigration (17 per cent), and health and social care (15 per cent). The issue comes to a head as tens of thousands are expected to attend traditional Boxing Day trail hunt meets across the country, events that campaigners say contribute over £100 million annually to the rural economy.
Tim Bonner accused the government of having "warped priorities," stating it had put "taxing family farms, raising rates for rural businesses and banning trail hunting above policies that would benefit rural people." He urged ministers to "work with the rural community – not legislate against it."
The government maintains that trail hunting is sometimes used as a smokescreen for illegal hunting, justifying its planned ban. However, the combined weight of the poll data and recent policy controversies prompts a serious question about whether Labour has inadvertently declared war on the countryside, risking the alienation of a vast section of the British populace.
