On 22nd February, Britain’s Leading Edge launched their Manifesto for 2023, a call to action for narrowing rural economic and geographical disparities. 

Britain’s Leading Edge is a group of 12 predominantly rural, upper tier local authority regions, without the economic pull of a major city.

Britain’s Leading Edge wants to work with partners to improve the quality of life for the 6 million people living in peripheral regions, and contribute to powering economic growth for the whole of the UK. Together, they commit to:

• Continuing to advocate for moving focus and investment beyond the policy corridor, which still affects so much of central Government policy.
• Press for all parts of the UK to be truly levelled up, so that rural areas perform as well as metropolitan areas do with reference to the 12 Levelling Up Missions.
• Helping Government deliver on its promise that the UK will be net carbon zero by 2050. Britain’s Leading Edge regions contain the clean energy capacity which will power this commitment.
• Building UK energy and food resilience, particularly in the light of ongoing geo-political developments.
• Advocating for fairer Government investment in research, development and the vital connectivity infrastructure that peripheral areas need to unlock our potential for growth. particularly in food production, clean energy, sustainable transport and digital.
• Championing Government recognition for the extra costs involved in providing reliable, high-quality public services in peripheral areas, and pressing for fair funding to drive innovation in service delivery

The Launch event included a presentation from Cornwall Council on the Manifesto itself followed by a Panel discussion that included Cllr Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council and Chair of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, Kerry Booth, Chief Executive Designate from the Rural Services Network and Cllr Linda Taylor, Leader of Cornwall County Council.

The Launch can be viewed below:

Kerry Booth of the Rural Services Network said: We recognise that we are stronger together, for too long Government have failed to listen to the rural voice so we support the manifesto for helping to amplify the rural voice.  Successive governments have underfunded rural services and developed policies which fail to recognise the circumstances of rural areas. To enable rural communities to fulfil their full potential, their needs and circumstances, and the costs of meeting those needs, must be fully recognised.

 To read the Manifesto, click below:

The launch also featured in the Municipal Journal and this can viewed here