The UK’s new Prime Minister has been warned of the challenges faced by rural businesses.
Commenting on Liz Truss MP being announced as the next Prime Minister, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) President, Mark Tufnell, said: “No Prime Minister in the last 20 years has had an ambitious strategy for the rural economy. This has to change.
“Years of neglect have led to an 18 per cent productivity gap between the rural economy and the national average. Closing this gap would add £43bn to UK GVA (Gross Value Added).
“A new £110m support package announced this weekend to support rural businesses was a welcome start. This funding will kick-start the green shoots of recovery for the rural economy. Whilst this announcement, made in the Government’s ‘Delivering for Rural England’ report, is a good start, it does not fully address the challenges faced by rural businesses.
Go for growth
“As PM, Liz Truss must go for growth, laying out in detail her plans to deliver genuine planning reform, full connectivity, a simpler tax system for diversified businesses – and a Whitehall shake up to encourage cross-departmental cooperation.
“Otherwise, her Party risks losing the hearts and minds of millions of rural voters.”