Election 2005 - Mr David Nash LABOUR
Labour - the Party of Rural Britain?

A Message from David Nash:
During this General Election, many speeches will be made proclaiming either that "we've never had it so good" or "we've never been in such a mess". Inevitably many voters will switch off and either not vote or vote the way they always have.

However, in a rural constituency like North Wiltshire it is worth examining what the Parties stand for and more importantly what they intend to do to support you.

Many constituents I have spoken with over the past few months have told me of their concerns.

The key ones are no different to those in urban constituencies - access to excellent public services; affordable housing; decent public transport; good job prospects.

What does distinguish those in rural areas is a concern about the sustainability of their communities.

Labour has a good record over the past 8 years of promoting sustainable rural communities. We have responded to the crisis of confidence in our farming industry, brought on by the Foot and Mouth and BSE problems, by developing a strategy to promote a sustainable future for the rural economy.

The main strands of this strategy have been to:

• Add value to the industry, including promotion of local and regional foods and farmers' markets;

• Create Assurance schemes, to help re-establish consumer confidence;

• Launch an Organic action plan, to help create a sustainable and competitive organic farming and food sector;

• Promote Exports, offering tailored assistance to smaller producers;

• Improve efficiency along the food chain;

• Develop public procurement rules, ensuring that British producers can be fairly considered, within procurement rules;

• Support Farm diversification, helping farmers exploit new markets and new sources of income while remaining in farming; and

• Provide Business advice to assist producers in pursuit of these objectives.

This approach, which we have been following since 2002, has been built on by the creation of a wider rural strategy. The 2004 Strategy sets up a more streamlined way of targeting out resources at areas of greatest social and economic need, helping enterprise to flourish. It also recognises that we also need to do more to ensure that our countryside is protected. But the key objective for me is the determination to find ways of delivering more affordable housing in rural communities. It is only by creating opportunities for families to live in rural communities that we can sustain them.

So, with a clear strategy and clear objectives, Labour really is working to create a sustainable future for rural communities. And as such is the Party of Rural Britain. On May 5th, support your local community
vote Labour.

David Nash is married with two young children and currently works as a management development trainer for a large financial services company. He has a record of working with his local community, being a school governor and a local councillor.
David Nash
Labour Party Parliamentary Candidate.