Local lobbying and teaching the next generation

Local politics needs more rural voices to ensure the countryside is fairly represented at council level, says Lizzie Hacking in this article from My Countryside magazine.

Ah, local politics.

A chance for those living in peaceful rural parishes to discuss the grass length of village verges and set a date for the local fete. You know that the council forms the cornerstone of the local community and you are fondly reminded of amusing scenes from The Vicar of Dibley… except that's not quite the reality in 2022.
In recent years it has become apparent that some councils are losing their sense of perspective and reason when it comes to their relationship with the countryside and rural issues. Unlike in Dibley, arguments for attacking farming and country pursuits have gone from "no, no, no, no, no" to "yes" with these becoming increasingly political and misguided.

Take Cheshire West and Chester Council as a prime example. They established a cross party working group to explore the topic of trail hunting, then spent an entire year considering what to do before the council voted to ban the activity on land that hunts don't even use. This is a combination of bending to the pressure of extremists and political point scoring gone mad. How was this pointless attack on rural pastimes ever a priority for the council during a global pandemic? Combine this with Liverpool City Council wasting time on an absurd motion that described the shooting of all animals as "barbaric" and it makes you realise that there just aren't enough Jackie Weavers out there to sort these councils out.

Then we have Oxfordshire County Council. They recently voted to ban meat and dairy products from their events after a motion was put forward by a vegan councillor as a means of tackling climate change. With the rise of social media, the spread of misinformation can catch on quicker than a wild cocker spaniel on a shoot day, as we've seen following the Veganuary campaign. Many well- meaning individuals often don't realise the damage they inflict by altering their diets to replace local pasture-fed meat with fashionable foods such as avocados that have enormous carbon footprints and are a key driver of deforestation in South America.

But it isn't just councils; Barrowford Primary School in Lancashire recently caused fury amongst the parent body after meat was banned from students' lunches, again under the cloak of environmental activism. We should be teaching the next generation about the benefits of mixed farming, where their food comes from and how to achieve a healthy and balanced diet. That way they can grow up to make their own educated choices rather than having such stringent measures imposed upon them from a young age.

So what should we do about this? I've heard so many preach their – often eloquent and sensible – defence of the countryside over a pint in their local pub on a Friday evening (with eloquence usually deteriorating as the night progresses). But what does this actually achieve?

It's so easy to criticise the decisions of those in positions of power, but the best way to make progress in this world is to take a seat at the table yourself – if you can't beat them join them! What rural communities really need is sensible and pragmatic champions to be elected onto local councils, school governing bodies or charity boards to gain a voice in their local area. It really is possible to make a big difference both within your community and for the future of rural life as we know it. Even if you don't consider yourself to be particularly electable, you will probably be surprised when you encounter some of the other characters in local government.
I have found being a councillor to be hugely rewarding and have learnt so much I never thought I would need to know – such as how to obtain a licence for an ostrich. Contrary to popular belief, it is also possible to manage the duties around a full-time job without it taking over your life (although my husband may disagree) and any Master of Foxhounds would probably laugh at what a lightweight I was if I complained about my council workload.

Those in local government today could become those in parliament tomorrow. We must all play our part in making sure the countryside has the voice that it deserves to protect our way of life for the next generation.