"Rural communities are suffering from austerity as much as city ones," says UK MP

Wednesday, 26th September 2018

PLYMOUTH: At Countryside Alliance event in Liverpool, member of Parliament for Plymouth Sutton and Devon port since 2017 Luke Pollard commented about 'rural austerity' here on Wednesday. “Rural communities are suffering from austerity just as much as city ones are”, said MP Luke Pollard. If we fall into the trap of thinking the Tories represent rural and Labour represents urban voters “we will be condemning rural communities to austerity for evermore”,said Pollard. “It’s tempting to think of built up urban areas when we think about areas worst hit by austerity, but rural communities have been hit just as hard – they’ve lost their pubs, their GP surgeries, their post office and local councils can’t afford basic services,” he said. Pollard, MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devon port, is shadow Minister for Flooding and Coastal Communities. “While we all see lots of lobbying on headline issues like grouse shooting from countryside groups, we need to talk more about the fact that health services are being eroded in rural areas, social care is waning, wages are low, broadband is slow and housing is unaffordable”, said Pollard. “People in rural communities need their public services protected just as much, if not more so, than those in big cities”, he added. “The distinction between rural and urban is a poor one and it doesn’t serve our politics well. Many of the issues that affect rural areas, affect urban areas and visa versa”, said MP Pollard. Adding further Pollard said labour speaks for rural communities because a Labour Government would end the cruel Tory austerity that has caused genuine pain and misery to rural communities. Rural communities have been left behind and taken for granted by the Tories and that needs to change Meanwhile, Pollard said a labour Government can only happen if it is built on every single part of the UK. If we fall into the trap of thinking the Tories represent rural and Labour represents urban we will be condemning rural communities to austerity forevermore and people in rural communities need their public services protected just as much, if not more so, than those in big cities.