A New Rural Agenda

Article

This collection of essays identifies the key challenges facing rural public policy today.

Read a sample chapter entitled "Rural politics and governance" by Michael Woods.

Social justice has been pushed to the forefront of rural policy as a priority for Government action, yet it remains unclear how rural areas and progressive rural policy fit into the broader social justice agenda.

Rural communities share the same aspirations as communities elsewhere: a prosperous local economy, excellent public services and increased control over their own destiny. However, the route to meeting these aspirations needs to be more readily defined and action taken to achieve these progressive and inclusive aims.

The explores the following main themes:

  • rural economies and economic development
  • society and public services
  • politics and governance.

Together these inform recommendations for a progressive new phase of rural policy.

View the table of contents.

Related items

  1. Young male delivery cyclist working part-time, riding through city streets with food backpack on.

    Raising the bar: Strengthening living standards while banning exploitative zero-hours contracts

    Labour’s manifesto committed to banning exploitative zero-hours contracts as part of sweeping upgrades to workers’ rights.
  2. The Bank of England is watched over by a statue of the Duke of Wellington seated on his horse

    Beyond headroom: Why we need a better fiscal framework to fix the UK’s long term problems

    There has been long-standing debate about the UK’s fiscal rules and fiscal framework.  
  3. Drax coal fired power plant in North Yorkshire, UK with coal stack and Biomass storage tanks at sunset

    Financing carbon capture, usage and storage: The case for extended producer responsibility

    The government has run out of road on funding infrastructure through energy bills.