Equality in the Countryside
The Landworkers’ Alliance and The Land magazine have joined forces to produce a rural manifesto which aims to challenge the elitism that dominates rural policy. The manifesto is also supported by the Family Farmers Association.
The manifesto was launched on Wednesday 6th January at 1.00pm in the Old Library of Oxford Town Hall at the Oxford Real Farming Conference. It includes 46 action points, on matters such a housing, land ownership, agriculture and rural employment. These all have the common aim of making Britain’s rural land and resources more accessible to a wider constituency of people.
The full manifesto can be downloaded here.
The manifesto is aimed primarily at the progressive parliamentary opposition. Simon Fairlie of The Land magazine stated:
“ With a reinvigorated Labour opposition, and a body of Scottish Nationalists committed to land reform, we are now in a better position to challenge the orthodoxy that has held sway under the influence of the Country Land and Business Association, the National Farmers’ Union, and Scottish Land and Estates.”
Rebecca Laughton of the Landworkers’ Alliance stated:
” For decades, the number of farms and the number of farmworkers have declined remorselessy, while the cost of rural housing has become increasingly unaffordable. It is time we reversed these trends, and it is not rocket science to do so.”
A number of the action points are reproduced below.
The full manifesto, including original illustrations by Clifford Harper is available here.