CLA responds to Spending Review 2020

Responding to this announcement, Mark Bridgeman, President of the Country Land and Business Association, said:

“We understand the Chancellor continues to firefight the economic fallout of Covid-19. But this Spending Review did little to show the Government’s mantra of ‘building back better’ will apply to the rural economy.

“Rural productivity is 16% less productive than the national average. If Government takes steps to close that productivity gap, then £43bn will be unlocked into the economy, creating jobs and strengthening communities. This week’s spending review will do nothing to boost economic growth in the countryside.

“The truth is that for the rural economy to achieve its vast potential, Government will need to do a great deal more. We need to see Ministers from the Treasury, DEFRA, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and other key departments to work together, and with the industry, to identify and deliver new policies specifically designed to create jobs and grow businesses in the countryside.”