THE Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) – a group of over forty Labour MPs representing rural and semi-rural seats – has been hard at work ensuring that government acts on the challenges that rural communities like ours face.

Rising from the ashes of the group of Labour backbenchers that stood up for small family farms and was able to get our government to refine its inheritance tax policy, the LRRG has turned its energy and attention to more positive matters, as well as fending off the threats we’ve faced due to international events. Now, I think it’s fair to say the LRRG is on a roll – with a string of victories for rural communities, thanks to close work with Ministers and some energetic campaigns bringing our constituents’ voices to Westminster.

Thanks to early pressure from the LRRG, the government quickly provided local authorities with £50 million to support users of heating oil – although it was a shame that Cornwall Council failed to distribute this in a more considered manner – as all heating all users deserve support to some degree. We’ve had frank conversations about the need to ensure that support is in place in case red diesel prices remain untenably high.

Most recently, I’ve led a group of LRRG members in calling on the government to ensure changes to the Motability scheme will not disproportionately affect rural recipients, who cannot rely on public transport like those living in urban areas can. We’ve also raised the alarm on the effects of the Iran war, such as increases in the cost of fertiliser, red diesel, and heating oil, and delivered a landmark report on rural poverty.

The closure of and uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz has constrained the supply of ammonia which, due to it being a key ingredient, has led to increases in the price of fertiliser. It was great to see LRRG Chair and MP for Suffolk Coastal, Jenny Carpenter, ask at last week’s PMQs if the Prime Minister would consider state support to re-open the ammonia plant in Billingham – closed by the Conservatives – which would reduce Britain’s reliance on imported ammonia.

Nationally, I’ve been leading on the LRRG’s campaign to boost the profitability of farming by introducing Honest Labelling and Levelling the Playing Field for British Farmers, and we’ve already secured some campaign wins. Thanks to the work of the LRRG, the Groceries Code Adjudicator – the body responsible for overseeing deals between supermarkets and farmers – will be brought into Defra, ensuring greater fairness in supply chains. We’ve also secured a review of environmental regulation affecting farmers, cutting red tape so they can spend less time on paperwork, and more time in the field.

Our government has shown it is ready to listen and act; from protecting farmers from being undercut in new trade deals and insulating small family farms from changes to Agricultural Property Relief, to delivering more oncology specialists providing lifesaving care earlier and working to improve educational attainment in remote coastal areas.