Countryside Alliance
@CAupdates

Championing the countryside, rural life, and traditions. Join us today for community, conservation, and member benefits, including insurance coverage.

 The British countryside
countryside-alliance.org
Joined February 2009
7,258 Photos and videos
An unprecedented range of government policies over the past two years have left rural people feeling under attack. If political leaders want to speak for all parts of the country, they have to hear the countryside too. Now is the time for a rural reset: ruralreset.org/
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Pubs aren’t the only rural businesses that need support. The 20% business rates reduction for pubs is welcome. But rural restaurants and hotels face many of the same pressures and are vital to local jobs and tourism. This Budget, it’s time for a rural reset. Write to the Prime Minister asking for a rural reset - ruralreset.org
A large, historic stone building with ivy-covered walls and chimneys is set amidst a well-maintained garden. Text reads, "Extend the reduction of business rates to rural restaurants and hotels." The Campaign for the Countryside logo is in the top right corner.

ALT A large, historic stone building with ivy-covered walls and chimneys is set amidst a well-maintained garden. Text reads, "Extend the reduction of business rates to rural restaurants and hotels." The Campaign for the Countryside logo is in the top right corner.
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376 Labour MPs have heard directly from their constituents. That is over 60% of every MP we reached. The government cannot say it has not been told. It is time for a rural reset: ruralreset.org/ #RuralReset #CampaignForTheCountryside
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Should rural people have to pay more for their heating?
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Rural businesses need room to employ. Employers’ National Insurance adds pressure to businesses that rely on people to deliver their services. The government should cut the 15% rate or restore the previous £9,100 Secondary Threshold. Back rural employers and protect jobs. This Budget, it’s time for a rural reset. Write to the Prime Minister asking for a rural reset - ruralreset.org
Pub bar being wiped with a cloth, with a logo in the top right corner that reads "Campaign for the Countryside." Text on the image says, "Cut the National Insurance burden on rural businesses."

ALT Pub bar being wiped with a cloth, with a logo in the top right corner that reads "Campaign for the Countryside." Text on the image says, "Cut the National Insurance burden on rural businesses."
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Countryside Alliance retweeted
Mo Metcalf-Fisher@mometfisher
Oct 21
We must protect rural communities. For the past two years, the rural way of life has been under attack. The countryside is ready for a reset. This Budget will reveal whether the government is ready too.
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Strong message in today's Express, backing up what we have long said. It's time to scrap the Family Farm Tax, and legislate for rural people, not against them.
This image is a newspaper spread featuring an article titled "Farm tax is a 'ticking time bomb'." A large group of people is gathered in the background with tractors and a yellow digger. They are holding signs that include messages like "Save Britain's Family Farms." There are articles and images, including one featuring Farage with a statement about UK fishing waters. Another section addresses the impact of farm tax on various aspects.

ALT This image is a newspaper spread featuring an article titled "Farm tax is a 'ticking time bomb'." A large group of people is gathered in the background with tractors and a yellow digger. They are holding signs that include messages like "Save Britain's Family Farms." There are articles and images, including one featuring Farage with a statement about UK fishing waters. Another section addresses the impact of farm tax on various aspects.

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Countryside Alliance retweeted
Mo Metcalf-Fisher@mometfisher
Oct 21
The countryside is ready for a reset. This Budget will reveal whether the government is ready too
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Six hours. That’s how long the SFI budget lasted. The 2026 Sustainable Farming Incentive budget was exhausted just six hours after opening. Farmers need reliable support they can plan around, not a scheme that shuts the door almost as soon as it opens. This Budget, it’s time for a rural reset. Write to the Prime Minister asking for a rural reset - ruralreset.org/
A lush, vibrant countryside scene with fields of wildflowers with hedgerows in the distance. A logo in the top corner reads "Campaign for the Countryside." Text on the image says, "Review SFI funding and how the scheme works.

ALT A lush, vibrant countryside scene with fields of wildflowers with hedgerows in the distance. A logo in the top corner reads "Campaign for the Countryside." Text on the image says, "Review SFI funding and how the scheme works.
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Countryside Alliance retweeted
Mo Metcalf-Fisher@mometfisher
Oct 20
Scrap the awful family farm tax. Ditch harmful policies impacting the countryside. Rural reset now!
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Family farms are a legacy, not just an asset. Raising the inheritance tax relief threshold was welcome, but concerns still remain for farms. Farms can be asset-rich but cash-poor, putting the future of family businesses at risk. Protecting family farms means protecting our domestic food production and the UK’s long-term food security. This Budget, it’s time for a rural reset. Write to the Prime Minister asking for a rural reset ➡️ ruralreset.org
A farmer herds sheep on a hillside path. The background features a green landscape and hills. The text reads, "Protect family farms from unfair inheritance tax changes." The "Campaign for the Countryside" logo is in the top right corner.

ALT A farmer herds sheep on a hillside path. The background features a green landscape and hills. The text reads, "Protect family farms from unfair inheritance tax changes." The "Campaign for the Countryside" logo is in the top right corner.

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Scrapping the Family Farm Tax is just one step we are asking the government to take this Budget. It's time for a rural reset.
Front page of the Daily Express with headlines focused on political and agricultural themes. Main headline reads: "Axe the Family Farm Tax Now, Prime Minister." Includes a photo of Andy Burnham.

ALT Front page of the Daily Express with headlines focused on political and agricultural themes. Main headline reads: "Axe the Family Farm Tax Now, Prime Minister." Includes a photo of Andy Burnham.

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Countryside Alliance retweeted
Mo Metcalf-Fisher@mometfisher
Oct 19
The family farm tax continues to put too many farmers through unnecessary stress and anxiety. Scrapping it in its entirety would be the right thing to do. It will signal that this government wants to begin repairing the relationship between Westminster and rural people. The countryside is ready for a rural reset. The Budget will tell us whether the government is ready too. express.co.uk/news/politics/…
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Trail hunting is an important part of rural Britain and the communities that sustain it. For too long, rural communities have felt overlooked by policymakers. At the launch of our Campaign for the Countryside, we asked people why it's so important that the countryside has a voice in decisions that affect it. #RuralReset #CampaignForTheCountryside #TrailHunting
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Join the Countryside Alliance and this October you can create your free will online in minutes, have it checked by our trusted partner @Farewill, then sign it to make it legally valid. You can update it whenever you need to, and if you already have a will, you can choose to leave a gift to support our work. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference. Leaving us a legacy enables us to respond to current threats to trial hunting, firearms licensing changes, environmental management, farm, food and rural communities. It also matters for the future, helping us to plan ahead and provide lasting stability. Focusing on future impact as well as immediate challenges. To take advantage of our free will writing service, copy the link below. farewill.com/countryside-all… Not a member? Sign up today to enjoy a variety of benefits. shop.countryside-alliance.or… If you wish to find out more about other ways to leave us a gift. countryside-alliance.org/sup…
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The Countryside Alliance has written to the Chancellor urging him to repair relations with the countryside.
A rustic stone cottage under a cloudy sky with a quote from the Daily Telegraph: "Holiday cottage tax will force us under, farmers warn." The image features the Countryside Alliance logo in the lower right corner.

ALT A rustic stone cottage under a cloudy sky with a quote from the Daily Telegraph: "Holiday cottage tax will force us under, farmers warn." The image features the Countryside Alliance logo in the lower right corner.

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Countryside Alliance retweeted
Mo Metcalf-Fisher@mometfisher
Oct 15
The countryside is ready for a rural reset. The Budget will tell us whether the government is ready too. Unlock the countryside’s potential. 🔴Revisit the hated family farm tax 🔴Review SFI 🔴Alleviate pressure on rural businesses 🔴Extend 20% business rate bill cuts to rural restaurants and hotels 🔴Reduce VAT for hospitality sector 🔴No holiday lets tax 🔴Maintain fuel duty 🔴Reduce VAT on domestic heating oil 🔴Reform horseracing betting levy 🔴Reconsider decision to reclassify double cab pickup trucks- the country’s favourite work horse
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Countryside Alliance retweeted
Mo Metcalf-Fisher@mometfisher
Oct 15
Another blow to the countryside if the Chancellor goes down this road. Thousands of jobs risked. Politically problematic too. Racing is Britain’s second biggest spectator sport.
Jack Elsom
@JackElsom
Oct 15
Huge pressure on John Healey to resist calls to hike betting taxes in the Budget
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How well do urban and rural Britain really understand each other? Join the conversation at @acadofideas Battle of Ideas, where the Countryside Alliance will be represented in the debate on Sunday: Hedgerows vs Highways: The Urban-Rural Divide. Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, Church House, Westminster. Big questions. Diverse viewpoints. Thought-provoking discussions. Come along to the Battle of Ideas Festival and explore ideas that matter to the countryside and beyond. Countryside Alliance supporters get 20% off tickets! Use code COUNTRY2026 at checkout To book tickets eventbrite.co.uk/e/battle-of… Learn more at battleofideas.org.uk/ #BattleOfIdeas #CountrysideAlliance #RuralBritain #UrbanRuralDivide #IdeasMatter #DebateAndDiscussion #RuralVoices
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It's time for a rural reset - we've written to the Chancellor urging him to take ten first steps this Budget to work with the countryside.
This image is a letter addressed to Rt Hon. John Healey MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer. The document is from the Countryside Alliance, dated 12 October 2026. It discusses the UK rural economy, emphasizing the need for sustainable growth and job retention in rural areas. The letter highlights a call for the reform of inheritance tax reliefs and underscores the importance of the Campaign for the Countryside initiative. The Countryside Alliance logo and contact details are visible at the bottom.

ALT This image is a letter addressed to Rt Hon. John Healey MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer. The document is from the Countryside Alliance, dated 12 October 2026. It discusses the UK rural economy, emphasizing the need for sustainable growth and job retention in rural areas. The letter highlights a call for the reform of inheritance tax reliefs and underscores the importance of the Campaign for the Countryside initiative. The Countryside Alliance logo and contact details are visible at the bottom.

Here is an alternative text description: A document titled "Countryside Alliance: The Voice of the Countryside" presents five recommendations related to rural business and taxes. Key points include revising the Sustainable Farming Incentive, reducing the National Insurance for employers in rural areas, and removing business rates from premises used for storage. Additional suggestions include reducing VAT for hospitality to aid tourism and implementing fair energy pricing for rural homes. Contact information for Countryside Alliance is provided at the bottom.

ALT Here is an alternative text description: A document titled "Countryside Alliance: The Voice of the Countryside" presents five recommendations related to rural business and taxes. Key points include revising the Sustainable Farming Incentive, reducing the National Insurance for employers in rural areas, and removing business rates from premises used for storage. Additional suggestions include reducing VAT for hospitality to aid tourism and implementing fair energy pricing for rural homes. Contact information for Countryside Alliance is provided at the bottom.

Sure, here's a concise alt text description: "A letterhead from the Countryside Alliance with a typed letter discussing tax on domestic heating oil, protection from Horsearc Betting Levy, and vehicle tax for rural small businesses. Signed by Tim Bonner.

ALT Sure, here's a concise alt text description: "A letterhead from the Countryside Alliance with a typed letter discussing tax on domestic heating oil, protection from Horsearc Betting Levy, and vehicle tax for rural small businesses. Signed by Tim Bonner.
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Countryside Alliance retweeted
Mo Metcalf-Fisher@mometfisher
Oct 14
In a letter to the Chancellor, the Countryside Alliance warned plans to tax holiday lets as second homes would render “sound rural businesses unviable” and damage visitor numbers. Holiday cottage tax will force us under, farmers warn telegraph.co.uk/politics/202…

Holiday cottage tax will force us under, farmers warn

Reclassifying tourist lets as second homes would render rural businesses ‘unviable’, says Countryside Alliance

telegraph.co.uk
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