Standing up for Rural Wales
Living and working in our beautiful rural communities is both a great privilege and a great challenge. There are specific issues facing these areas and, in recent years, many of those problems have reached new, unbearable highs. That’s why I am writing about Welsh Conservative plans to Stand Up For Rural Wales. It’s something we’ve been doing for decades – but it’s something Wales really needs from its government - now, more than ever. Speaking at the Royal Welsh Show in July, I launched a detailed document, with the empowerment of rural communities at its core. These areas account for a third of the Welsh population and they’re at the beating heart of our country. Rural communities make Wales tick and we want to give them the power they deserve and the opportunity to make their own decisions. It’s the people who live and work in these communities that know best. Welsh government ministers shouldn’t be making decisions for them. They should be providing the opportunity for decisions to be made at a local level, listening to views and feedback and providing all possible support for a bright and vibrant future.
Within a Welsh Conservative government, that would mean a Minister for Mid and West Wales - joining our North Wales Minister around the Cabinet table and representing the needs of the region. There are specific concerns facing mid and west Wales that require individual problem-solving and a unique ministerial voice to make things happen. Similarly, every policy announced by the Welsh government and every direction it takes should face much improved assessment of its impact on rural Wales. As it stands, the Labour government ‘rural proofs’ its own policies. We would take that job away from civil servants and give it to rural community representatives; an independent system of rural proofing at arms-length from Welsh government.
Our farming industry is the lifeblood of Wales. Sometimes it’s difficult to overestimate just how important farmers are to almost every aspect of our lives – not least food, drink and all the incredible produce that our country produces every day. That’s why Welsh Conservatives in government would properly support our dairy and red meat industries and give local food a much-needed leg-up onto global markets. In our Red Meat Charter we have already called for a voluntary code of practice for supermarkets and shops to dedicate a section of floor to the support and promotion of Welsh food and drink. We have called on retailers to actively promote Welsh PGI status and British Red Tractor products and we have committed, like the UK government, to a big increase in public procurement of the best produce I’ve ever come across – and ever will come across – Welsh produce. It deserves better than it’s had under Labour rule and Welsh Conservatives would also introduce a ‘taste town’ initiative across Wales - where local food, drink and hospitality businesses working together to promote their communities’ local produce, support food tourism and encourage eating in season. On top of that, I’ve announced plans to adopt the best parts of the Irish government’s food strategy ‘Food Harvest 2020’, which calls for a growth in food and beverage exports.
On the Common Agricultural Policy, we will support a mid-term review and we will work with UK government colleagues to generate a fairer deal for farmers - reducing the 15 per cent modulation rate. We would also safeguard funding and support for Young Farmers Clubs, protecting the future of communities across rural Wales and ensuring the Welsh farming industry gets the new blood it richly deserves.
With recent flooding incidents in Wales and experts predicting the problem remains the biggest climate change related threat in the UK, we would also designate ‘Blue Belt’ land - areas at significant risk of flooding that would face absolutely no development. There has been a lack of leadership from Labour ministers on planning. In a bid to meet targets set in the Wales Spatial Plan, local authorities too often allow developers permission to build on areas known to be at risk of flooding. Our clear, unequivocal policy would put an end to irresponsible development on areas of high flood risk which can – and has – ruined lives.
Renewable energy is an integral part of energy production in Wales and the use and production of renewables should also come hand in hand with community life. Community energy schemes are a great way to encourage communities to come together, produce their own energy and tackle climate change. The Labour government’s attempts to make this happen haven’t worked. We would ensure support was given at every point of the scheme and we would assist communities to interact with interested parties, like Natural Resources Wales, Ofgem and the National Grid.
This is just a small snapshot of our innovative plans to support rural communities, ensure our farming industry gets the help it needs and put decision making back in the hands of local people. The Welsh Conservative message is simple – We’re Standing Up For Rural Wales.