Politics
20 Apr 2015
Political manifestos under scrutiny
PLEDGES made by the main political parties ahead of the general election are a mixed bag for rural communities, says the Rural Services Network. The Rural Services Network analysed manifestos...
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09 Apr 2015
Rural vote ‘may have unwanted teeth’
POLITICIANS chasing the rural vote may discover that it has unexpected teeth, says NFU Mutual. As the general election on 7 May draws closer, the rural insurer says home owners...
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22 Mar 2015
Rural growth fund now available
FUNDING is now available for projects that will create thousands of jobs across England, says the government. Some £2.9bn in development funding over six years has been earmarked for projects...
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15 Feb 2015
Rural grant increase is not enough
A £4m increase in government funding makes little difference to the financial injustice suffered for years by countryside communities, the Rural Services Network has warned. Not all rural local authorities...
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02 Feb 2015
Government under pressure on funding
THE Rural Services Network is continuing to pile on the pressure after a government minister agreed there was “still more to do” to rectify a funding shortfall for rural local...
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01 Feb 2015
Defra urged to create ‘rural proofing’ forum
DEFRA has been urged to establish a special forum to share rural best practice across government. The recommendation to develop the Rural Proofing Forum was made in a key report...
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18 Jan 2015
Rural voters lose faith in Westminster
The UK public have little faith in Westminster to deliver positive change for people living in rural communities, reveals a YouGov survey. Only one in 25 people believes this year’s...
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12 Jan 2015
Go-ahead soon for £3.5bn rural programme
Brussels is set to give the go-ahead for a new rural development programme worth £3.5bn to the English countryside. The European Commission is expected to issue an agreement in principle...
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31 Dec 2014
Questions over ‘rural growth’ claims
MORE opportunities could increase rural employment in England by as much as 6%, the government has claimed. DEFRA secretary Liz Truss said productivity could grow faster in the countryside than...
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30 Dec 2014
Manifesto features in Sunday Times
THE Rural Services Network manifesto calling for a fairer deal for rural England has been featured in the Sunday Times. The manifesto was featured in the newspaper as part of...
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