Engaging communities outside Britain’s cities

A One Nation Labour Party has to reach out beyond Britain’s cities. It’s essential electorally if we are to win in 2015, but also if we aspire to be a government that serves all parts of our country. That’s why we need a clear offer to communities outside Britain’s cities at the next election. And that means not just those living in villages in the heart of the countryside, but in our market and coastal towns too. In electoral terms, it means ensuring that we campaign and gain seats that we won in 1997 and which we must do so again if we are to ensure that Ed Miliband is leading a majority Labour government after the election.

This is why this Saturday’s Third Place First conference is so important.

It’s also essential that we have a clear plan for communities outside Britain’s cities to ensure we are ready to challenge the city-focussed, and particularly London-centric, instincts of Whitehall. There is often little understanding of the additional pressures that come from living in more isolated communities, particularly on the cost of living. The higher costs of travel, whether fares or fuel. The lack of bus services, especially early in the morning and during the evening that can be the difference between taking up a job, college place or apprenticeship. The extra heating costs from being off-grid. The lack of affordable housing, particularly driving many young people away from the communities in which they grew up. The greater impact of the bedroom tax in areas that have a smaller social housing stock and fewer one bedroom properties in particular, forcing tenants away from family and friends.

The job of a One Nation Labour government will be to ensure that these additional challenges are understood in each and every department and the experience of those living outside of our cities is listened to and addressed. I am clear that it should be a central role of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure this is the case – to be the loud voice across government for communities outside Britain’s cities. It’s a role that the hopelessly out of touch Owen Paterson is failing to fulfil, instead focussing on his failed badger cull, weakening the protection of our ancient forests and Tory demands for a fresh vote on hunting.

The One Nation Labour offer that we make at the next election will instead focus on the real concerns of those living in communities outside of Britain’s cities.  It will ensure that where we set out a clear policy agenda, we have actually given serious thought to how to ensure it benefits all parts of the country. Take energy costs and the need for fast broadband for example.  As well as our pledge to freeze energy prices while we reset the broken market, we have also committed to bringing the off-grid energy sector under regulation for the first time.  And we have made clear we will deliver Winter Fuel Payments earlier to those pensioners who are using off-grid energy, enabling them to purchase their gas or heating oil ahead of the rapid price spikes we’ve seen in the Autumn. On broadband, where the Government’s programme to connect local communities outside of our cities is now two years behind schedule and over-budget, we have committed to switch  £75 million from the ‘super-connected cities’ programme to a new digital inclusion fund that will benefit all communities.

Over the coming months we must ensure that we apply a similar One Nation focus to each area of policy. That is the best way to ensure that our candidates can engage effectively with communities outside Britain’s cities. It is how we deliver the successful campaign for a Labour majority that the country so desperately needs.

Maria Eagle MP is Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. She is speaking at Progress’ Third Place First conference on Saturday, 25 January. Sign up here.