Latest news with #RuralResearchGroup
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Don't call rural voters Nimbys, Labour MPs tell Starmer
Sir Keir Stamer has been told to stop calling rural voters 'Nimbys' by Labour MPs representing rural seats. The Rural Research Group, which represents seats the party won for the first time at last year's election, branded the term 'toxic' and said may alienate voters in the countryside. Sir Keir and risked a further drop in the 'goodwill' shown by rural voters that handed Labour a historic election win last year. Labour has already been accused of betraying those voters by limiting inheritance tax relief for family farms in last year's Budget. The Prime Minister has regularly used the phrase, which means 'not in my back yard', to describe those he believes are blocking new housing and infrastructure which Labour sees as crucial to boosting economic growth. He said previously: 'For too long, blockers have had the upper hand in legal challenges - using our court processes to frustrate growth. 'We're putting an end to this challenge culture by taking on the Nimbys and a broken system that has slowed down our progress as a nation.' Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, the Labour MP who chairs the Labour Rural Research Group, said many people 'despise' the term. Ms Riddell-Carpenter told The Mirror: 'The term Nimby isn't just toxic, it's politically pointless. We win nothing by labelling people 'anti development' or 'anti growth'.' The Rural Research Group - set up to champion rural issues - published their first report on Wednesday on the attitudes of their countryside constituents. Their survey of 1,412 people found 56 per cent 'firmly do not see themselves as Nimbys'. More than 60 per cent also agreed developments in their areas should go ahead 'as long as it is delivered thoughtfully, and with consideration for local needs and identity'. The group's intervention will be seen as evidence of growing concern amongst rural MPs about Labour's poll ratings. Research group caucuses are becoming more popular in parliament, reflecting how Conservative factions sought to wield power under previous administrations. The Prime Minister has been told to show more recognition for rural identity, which Rural Research Group said had 'for too long been misunderstood and overlooked by policymakers'. A Rural Research Group poll showed that 65 per cent of voters have little trust in politicians. The MPs said: 'This should serve as a clear warning sign to all parties: disillusionment in rural Britain runs deep, and restoring trust will require more than promises - it must be backed by visible, long-term local action rooted in authenticity.'
Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Times
‘Nimby' attacks alienate rural voters, Labour MPs warn Keir Starmer
Sir Keir Starmer is being warned by Labour MPs to tone down the government's attack on 'nimbys' amid fears it is alienating voters in rural constituencies that the party won for the first time in 2024. The prime minister was told the phrase was divisive and risked a further drop in the 'goodwill' shown by rural voters that handed Labour a historic election win last year. The Rural Research Group, which represents 26 MPs from countryside constituencies, said it was wrong to label people 'nimbys'. The acronym stands for 'not in my back yard' and has been adopted frequently by Starmer to characterise those he has said are standing in the way of Labour's growth plans by blocking new housing and infrastructure. But the group said there was a tendency in Westminster to 'focus on dividing lines' that 'often pit rural against urban, and nimbys against yimbys ['yes in my back yard']' — with the former 'seen as people living in rural or semi-rural communities'. They conducted polling that found 56 per cent rural of rural voters did not see themselves as nimbys, compared with 16 who did. 'For development to succeed in rural areas, it must respect and reflect the deep connection to land, nature and local identity,' the MPs said. • Pro-growth Labour MPs dismayed at concession to green 'nimbys' Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, who chairs the group and won the seat of Suffolk Coastal for Labour for the first time in 2024 from the former deputy prime minister Thérèse Coffey, said that calling people nimbys was 'toxic'. She told The Times: 'We need to put the term 'nimbyism' to bed. It excludes a whole set of voters from a conversation about what local growth and local opportunity means for them, in their area. 'Shouting people down and calling them nimbys won't win support for local growth. 'But if we capture what matters locally, build in for nature, and make growth inclusive for our rural areas — we can succeed where the previous government failed.' Starmer has repeatedly attacked 'nimbys' in a bid to demonstrate the government's commitment to boosting growth through housebuilding and new infrastructure projects. Since becoming prime minister, he has vowed to 'take on the nimbys', branding them 'blockers' who want to 'frustrate growth' and are part of 'the alliance of naysayers'. The group's intervention will be seen as evidence of growing concern among rural MPs about Labour's poll ratings, particularly given the hit to farmers from Rachel Reeves's changes to inheritance tax in her budget. • James Rebanks: 'The farming crisis? It's much bigger than inheritance tax' The emergence of more 'research group' caucuses in parliament also mirrors how Conservative factions sought to wield their power under previous administrations and demonstrates the restlessness felt by some Labour MPs. Starmer was told to show more recognition of rural identity, which the rural group said had 'for too long been misunderstood and overlooked by policymakers'. They said housebuilding was still important, with 80 per cent of those surveyed saying they were concerned younger people will not be able to buy their own home. Most — 65 per cent — were happy for development to proceed, so long as it was done thoughtfully and with consideration for local identity and needs. However, the group said that rural areas 'often have higher housing targets than their urban neighbours' and are bearing the brunt of big energy projects and grid upgrades as part of the government's drive towards net zero. 'For many rural voters, this is something that they are increasingly aware of, as they witness new infrastructure and developments appearing in their locality,' the MPs said in their report, Understanding Rural Britain. • Why Labour is failing to build the homes Britain needs Their polling showed rural voters prioritised spending on the NHS above all else (59 per cent), followed by agriculture and the rural economy (51 per cent), education (48 per cent) and tackling crime (44 per cent). The most popular spending cuts were foreign aid (53 per cent) and welfare (44 per cent).Given the potential threat posed by Reform UK, the group also highlighted widespread disillusionment with the established political parties. Almost two thirds of rural voters — 65 per cent — said they have little trust in politicians, according to the poll. The MPs said: 'This should serve as a clear warning sign to all parties: disillusionment in rural Britain runs deep, and restoring trust will require more than promises — it must be backed by visible, long-term local action rooted in authenticity.' A Labour source defended the party's record, saying: 'We are proud of our ambition to create a fairer Britain.' They said that working families were yet to 'feel that sense of fairness' and that all people 'deserve a secure place to call home for them and their loved ones'. The source added Labour would 'unashamedly deliver on that promise', as well as its commitment to build 1.5 million new homes during the parliament with adequate infrastructure and healthcare for new residents.
