Hinterland
Rural News
Attack on ‘woke’ charities has backfired, campaigners say
Many of the big name charities featured here have strong rural roots such as the national Trust – this article gives very interesting food for thought. It tells us: A wave of attacks on “woke” charities by rightwing politicians has “backfired”, generating an outpouring of public support for the targeted charities and helping drive a […]
Benefits changes could have serious consequences on mental health, warns UK psychologists’ body
I think a rural proofing approach to this issue would make it clear that there are additional challenges to employability for people in rural settings, yet this policy approach seems “place blind”. The planned tightening of the benefits system is “deeply concerning” and could have “serious negative consequences” on claimants’ mental health, according to a […]
Nearly £400 a year ‘could have been saved on bills during energy crisis’ with scrapped green policy
This statement and report needs a rural lens, there are a number of key challenges like the availability of appropriate power supply infrastructure which mean that in rural settings policies like this need much more careful and analysis than this article suggest. It tells us: Households could have saved nearly £400 a year in bills […]
Basic income pilot scheme for care leavers to be trialled in Wales
I love this idea and as with many good approaches in Wales it will impact equally on rural and non-rural people who are eligible to exactly the same degree. All young people leaving care in Wales at the age of 18 are to be offered the chance to take part in a basic income pilot […]
Not just castles: Historic England offers grants to ‘ordinary’ places like pubs and terraced houses
Any nominations? Mine is the Spread Eagle on Walmgate in York which from 1983-85 was a fast breeder reactor of 18-21 year of beer fuelled ambition and bravado on a scale not seen in the UK since. This article tells us: Historic England is launching a scheme to find overlooked, ordinary places that celebrate England’s […]
Impact of the pandemic on rural shopping habits
An ostensibly prosaic subject but in the hands of quality researchers of this calibre a really useful contribution to our rural store of knowledge. This article tells us: Researchers at the University of Southampton have explored how the pandemic has impacted the shopping habits and attitudes of consumers aged 65+ living and shopping in rural […]
Car-flip farmer cleared of dangerous driving and criminal damage
I personally can’t fully understand why the farmer here was so keen to get this vehicle off his land if a rescue vehicle was on the way. The fact that the owner but passenger was drunk does not seem not seem material either. This story tells us a lot about rural/urban tensions…. […]
What levelling up? Councils forced into tax rises and drastic service cuts
Poor levelling up. Any time any individual or body is going through the mill, it’s the fault of Levelling Up. Not the case in my book, but this article does point to a number of authorities in danger of intervention, some with rural footptrints Levelling up secretary Michael Gove last week unveiled the government’s long-delayed […]
Shropshire ‘overlooked’ in ‘levelling up’ plan
This article speaks for itself… Government plans to “level up” the country are ignoring rural areas like Shropshire, the local authority has said. The scheme is designed to close the gap between rich and poor parts of the country. On Wednesday, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove announced details of the government strategy. But councillor Ed […]
Tesco chairman warns of food price inflation at 5% by spring
This doesn’t bode well – we already know it costs more to live in rural Britain. The article tells us: The chairman of Britain’s biggest supermarket chain has warned that “the worst is yet to come” on food price inflation, as he predicted it will soon hit 5%. John Allan, who has chaired Tesco since […]
Best British Countryside Comedy Films
Some of my favourite films reviewed in this article Holy Grail, Clockwise to name just 2 ….. The great outdoors and a hearty chuckle are two of our favourite things. So what better way to enjoy both than with our top countryside comedy films, from old corkers to new chortlers? We’ve rounded up our favourites […]
To win, Labour must become the party of rural Britain
A fascinating insight into the political agenda for “rural” within some parts of the principal opposition party. This think piece written by Lord Knight of Weymouth provides some very interesting context to the emerging political battle lines for rural England as we start the long run up to the next election. It tells us: The […]