After Keir Starmer announced he would step down as prime minister on 22 June, Andy Burnham has now taken post outside No.10 Downing Street.
With hopes that Burnham will provide opportunities for horticulture, arboriculture and the environment, the industry reacts to the news.
Fran Barnes, chief executive at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), begins:
“Prime Minister Burnham is walking into Number 10 during a summer of extreme weather, as water companies across the country implement water restrictions that directly impact our retailers, growers, landscapers and their customers. At a time when plants, trees and green infrastructure are increasingly vital for helping communities adapt to climate change, it cannot be overstated that the businesses producing, planting and maintaining them have the water security they need. This underlines the urgent need for a national water resilience strategy, accelerated investment in new reservoirs and greater support for horticultural businesses to access the funding and planning needed to improve water storage and resilience.”
On top of congratulating the new prime minister, Barnes emphasises the importance of environmental horticulture on careers and the economy. She adds:
“Environmental horticulture is uniquely placed to present solutions to many of the challenges the new Prime Minister faces. We create rewarding green careers that can help tackle youth unemployment, our plants and trees improve health and wellbeing, and green infrastructure is essential for building climate resilience and making our towns and cities more liveable.”
Associations began to react once Starmer stepped down, with possibilities of Burnham replacing him as leader of the Labour began to circulate after winning the Mackerfield by-election just a week before.
A new report, The Future of the Rural Economy, from the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG), in partnership with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), has been recently published, which argues that Labour’s reset must include a new approach to rural Britain if the party is serious about delivering economic growth across the whole country.
Gavin Lane, president of CLA, comments:
“The public are on the side of rural Britain, and they expect the next government to be too. Taxes on family farms and businesses have left businesses reeling, but Andy Burnham has the chance to reset the relationship and work to unlock the enormous potential of the economy in rural areas. There is no more time to waste on endless consultations and talking-shop committees. This report is a ready-made plan full of meaningful ideas. Adopting these policies, which are backed by Labour’s own MPs, will grow the economy and create jobs in areas that often see high levels of deprivation.”
Deborah Mattinson, Labour Peer, also comments:
“Rural communities have the potential to play a crucial role in Britain’s growth, but are currently punching below their weight. Too often they are forgotten, or ignored. The report therefore calls for a new focus on enabling rural economies, with a holistic approach that treats economic growth, service provision and environmental stewardship, including respect for nature, as interconnected.”
Angela Eagle returns to Defra and has been announced as the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs. Barnes says, “we want to ensure that the voices of our members and the environmental horticulture sector are heard and valued at the heart of government, and that the sector is recognised for the important contribution it makes to the economy, communities and the environment.”
