Anna Sabine MP warns the Government is putting rural communities at risk through chronic underinvestment

Anna Sabine MP warns the Government is putting rural communities at risk through chronic underinvestment 

Ahead of tomorrow’s Spending Review, Anna Sabine MP for Frome and East Somerset is calling on the Government to properly invest in rural areas or risk destroying our communities. 

In the wake of the announcement of plans for a £15.6 billion funding package for local transport, where a mere £800 million, 5% of the total amount is coming to the West Country, Anna said “the Government doesn’t understand what we need in terms of rural provisions”. Speaking on Sunday’s BBC Politics West, which discussed the £800 million going to Bristol and the WECA area, Anna pointed out that even this doesn’t include the more rural areas.

“I feel that it’s very good news if you live in Bristol or bits of WECA that point into Bristol but if you actually read what’s been proposed so far, it doesn’t include my relatively rural bit of WECA. It doesn’t include places like Peasedown St John and Radstock, it doesn’t include the whole of Somerset. And frankly looking in from where we are, it’s a bit frustrating that we have towns and villages that have no or very poor bus services and we’re getting more and more money pumped into areas that already do fairly well from bus services.”

The Government neglect shown to the West Country as a whole, and more specifically rural areas in places like Frome and East Somerset, shows not only a disregard for rural needs but a wilful ignorance to how we differ from more urban areas. 

“Frome and East Somerset is a proudly rural area, we don’t want to be urban, but we cannot continue to be ignored” Anna later commented regarding the continuation of Government decisions that will harm our communities. Amidst rumours that suggest the upcoming Spending Review will also slash the nature-friendly farming budget, Anna fears it is yet another blow for our farmers to endure. 

“Our farmers are struggling. The Government’s repeated decisions to their detriment, at best show an apathy towards rural life, if not outright contempt. The Prime Minister keeps saying he wants us to be ‘war-ready’ but that means ensuring food and energy security as well, and unless the Government rules out these cuts to the farming budget, we risk decimating that industry”.

Anna Sabine MP, with the Liberal Democrats will continue to call on the Government to protect our farmers and protect our rural communities ahead of tomorrow’s Spending Review and beyond. 

ENDS