Labour have been urged to reconnect with the "politics and culture" of the countryside and the farming industry to have a chance of winning the next general election.
A new Fabian Society report published today (27 March) urges Jeremy Corbyn's party to capitalise on the demise of UKIP and decline of Liberal Democrats to gain seats in rural areas.
However, the report 'Labour Country' shows the party still has a way to go to win over rural voters.
The report argues that to gain countryside seats Labour needs to be seen as "a natural party of the countryside".
It suggests the party creates a post-Brexit agricultural settlement that "values the labour that sustains the countryside".
This could take the form of a new re-balancing of scales, one towards small-scale and marginal farms as well as the provision of public goods.
To win a UK majority, the party does not need to beat the Conservatives across all rural areas, the report says, but it does need to be competitive.
Of Labour’s target seats ahead of the next general election, 16 are rural and a further 28 have at least 3,000 rural inhabitants. A YouGov / Fabian Society poll shows that as things stand the Conservatives lead Labour by 54% to 31% in rural England and Wales (23 points).
Even amongst working class rural voters, the Conservatives beat Labour by 49% to 35% (14 points).
'Rural-proof'
The report identifies other policy areas that are key to Labour rebuilding its connection with rural voters - including transport and housing.
But focus groups conducted for the report also show the party needs a shift in how it campaigns and organises to ‘rural-proof’ everything it does.
Labour’s next manifesto may lend more support for small-scale rural enterprises and technical education. The report also suggests a focus on rebuilding rural transport and making housing more affordable.
Shadow Defra Secretary Sue Hayman said the Conservatives take rural communities "for granted", imagining that they have their votes "sewn up".
"As the member of parliament for a rural constituency in West Cumbria, I know only too well how creaking Victorian infrastructure, rural poverty and a lack of employment opportunities for young people are leading to a growing disconnect between city and countryside," Ms Hayman said.
"At the same time, austerity is leading to the steady erosion of the pubs and post offices, bank branches and local businesses that serve as the heart of so many of our small towns, villages and hamlets."
Last month, Labour confirmed it would look at banning the live export of animals, end the badger cull and introduce mandatory labelling of production and slaughter method.
Its "radical action" plan on animal welfare also said it wants to design post-Brexit farm subsidies to move away from "intensive factory farming and bad environmental practices".
