The Countryside Alliance (CA) is a British organisation promoting issues relating to the
countryside
In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are descri ...
such as
farming
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...
, rural services, small businesses and
field sports
Field sports are outdoor sports that take place in the wilderness or sparsely populated rural areas, where there are vast areas of uninhabited greenfields. The term specifically refer to activities that mandate sufficiently large open spaces and ...
, aiming to "Give Rural Britain a voice".
History
The Countryside Alliance was formed on 10 July 1997 from three organisations: the British Field Sports Society, the Countryside Business Group, and the Countryside Movement. The Alliance was formed to help promote and defend the British countryside and rural life, both in the media and in Parliament. Since then, the Countryside Alliance has campaigned on a number of issues which they believe are important to rural Britain. In 2008 organisation was named the 'most inspiring political personality' of the last ten years by ''Channel 4 News''.
It broadly outlines its major campaigns through a Rural Charter
which focuses on the following major themes:
* 'Make Brexit work for the countryside
'
* 'Buy British by supporting our farmers and producers'
* 'Recognise the importance of wildlife management and the value of hunting, shooting and fishing'
* 'Connect the countryside by delivering first class digital infrastructure'
* 'Tackle crime in rural areas'
Campaigns
* Against the passing of the 2004
Hunting Ban
The Hunting Act 2004 (c 37) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably foxes, deer, hares and mink) with dogs in England and Wales, subject to some strictly limited exemptions; the A ...
, and lobbying for its repeal
* Against the closure of rural post offices
* Supporting shooting and
deer stalking
Deer stalking, or simply stalking, is a British term for the stealthy pursuit of deer on foot with the intention of hunting for meat, for leisure/trophy, or to control their numbers. As part of wildlife management, just as with rabbiting an ...
across the British Isles, by campaigning against additional regulations and negative press coverage
* Encouraging customers and supermarkets to stock food from British farms
* Calling for better broadband connections for homes and small businesses in the countryside
* Organising educational talks and trips to the countryside for schoolchildren
* A "Game-to-Eat" campaign aiming to popularise
game as a meat of choice
* Fishing4Schools, an initiative aimed to help children with special educational needs by taking them angling
*
Falconry for schools
* Supporting small rural businesses through the Countryside Alliance Awards scheme
Administration
Leadership
*Chairman —
The Lord Herbert of South Downs PC CBE, former Minister of State for Policing & Criminal Justice and former Member of Parliament for Arundel and South Down
*President —
The Baroness Mallalieu , Labour peer
*Vice President —
The Baroness Golding, Labour peer
*Chief Executive and Director of The Countryside Alliance Foundation – Tim Bonner
Elected members of the Board
*Richard Fry
*Andrew Ogg
*
James Wharton,
former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development and Member of Parliament for Stockton South
*Johnnie Arkwright
*Caroline Squire
*Karen Silcock
Appointed members
*Tim Bonner
*Bill Tyrwhitt-Drake
*Charlie McVeigh III
*Guy Portwin
*Paul Dunn
= The Countryside Alliance Foundation
=
* Nick Bannister, Chairman
* Charlie Wilson
* Richard Fry
* Andrew Ogg
* Tim Russ
* Tara Douglas-Home
The Countryside Alliance Foundation
The Countryside Alliance Foundation is the charitable arm of the organisation. Its mission aim, according to its website, is to "help adults and children alike make the most of the incredible remedial and educational benefits of being involved in the natural environment. By introducing people to the delights of rural Britain we hope to inspire them to become passionate about the countryside, and helping to protect the natural environment."
The Foundation's core projects include the Casting For Recovery (UK and Ireland) programme,
Fishing for Schools
and Falconry for Schools.
Casting for Recovery
The Casting for Recovery programme was set up by The Foundation to provide women affected by breast cancer treatment with an opportunity to learn the sport of
fly fishing as part of a free weekend retreat. The retreats are run by health care volunteers, qualified fishing instructors and fishing guides.
The programme was established by Sue Shaw. In an article for the ''
Yorkshire Post
''The Yorkshire Post'' is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds in Yorkshire, England. It primarily covers stories from Yorkshire although its masthead carries the slogan "Yorkshire's National Newspaper". It was previously owned by ...
'', the aim of the programme is stated to be "to give the women a shared, safe environment in which to discuss their illness and share experiences. They receive all the latest advice from an oncology nurse and an on-staff counsellor is also there to lend expertise on the specific fears and worries associated with breast cancer. Retreats can stir up emotions for many of the women, so the professionalism and expertise of the medics and counsellors is vital."
Fishing for Schools
Fishing for Schools was set up in 2007 by award-winning angler Charles Jardine. In a profile piece written by
David Profumo
David John Profumo, FRSL (born 20 October 1955), is an English novelist.
Profumo was born in London, the son of former British government minister John Profumo, and his wife, actress Valerie Hobson. The Profumo family is of Italian origin.
Bio ...
for ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was f ...
'', the programme is described as being "aimed at students in secondary education, especially those with learning difficulties, physical disabilities and a spectrum of special needs. Working alongside teachers in and out of the classroom, it explores core curricular subjects (maths, natural science, English) through the medium of angling and its range of associated skills – social, practical and interactive. It fills the gap between fun and academia." According to its webpage, the programme offers participants between the ages of 10-16 the opportunity to gain qualifications through accredited schemes run by
ASDAN
"ASDAN"(Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network) is a British education charity and awarding organization, headquartered in Bristol. It began as a research project of the University of the West of England in the 1980s, and was formal ...
, COPE,
BTEC and NOCN.
Falconry for Schools
The Falconry for Schools project sees
birds of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
taken into primary and secondary schools, with an aim of teaching knowledge and understanding of the natural world to pupils as part of general subjects relating to history, science and technology.
The Countryside Alliance Awards
The Countryside Alliance Awards is a national awards scheme set up in 2006, also known as The Rural Oscars. Its aim is to "award rural businesses that go the extra mile, who support their local economy and are unsung heroes in every community". The awards are led by public nominations, covering seven categories: village shop/
post office
A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...
, local food and drink, rural enterprise, pub, butcher, game and the
Clarissa Dickson Wright
Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright (24 June 1947 – 15 March 2014) was an English celebrity cook, television personality, writer, businesswoman, and former barrister. She was bes ...
award, which was instituted in 2013.
In 2019, the Countryside Alliance stated that it had received over 17,000 nominations. The awards ceremony is usually held in the month of June at the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...
. Previous judges have included
Michael Gove,
Andrea Leadsom
Dame Andrea Jacqueline Leadsom (; ' Salmon; born 13 May 1963) is a British politician serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for South Northamptonshire since 2010. A member of the Conservative Party, she served as Secretary of State for Environ ...
,
Liz Truss
Mary Elizabeth Truss (born 26 July 1975) is a British politician who briefly served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from September to October 2022. On her fiftieth day in office, she stepped down ...
,
William Sitwell
William Ronald Sacheverell Sitwell (born 2 October 1969) is a British editor, writer and broadcaster. He is also a restaurant critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' and the former editor of '' Waitrose Food''.
Life and work
Sitwell is the yo ...
and the late
Clarissa Dickson Wright
Clarissa Theresa Philomena Aileen Mary Josephine Agnes Elsie Trilby Louise Esmerelda Dickson Wright (24 June 1947 – 15 March 2014) was an English celebrity cook, television personality, writer, businesswoman, and former barrister. She was bes ...
.
Key campaigns
Tackling rural crime
The Countryside Alliance provides a number of guides for its members and the wider public that relate to crimes often associated as common rural crimes. These include dog theft, fly-tipping, sheep rustling, hare poaching, fuel theft as well as the impact of
hunt saboteur Hunt sabotage is the direct action that animal rights activists and animal liberation activists undertake to interfere with hunting activity.
Anti-hunting campaigners are divided into hunt saboteurs and anti-hunt monitors to monitor for cruelt ...
s and online bullying.
Church and religious buildings crime report
In November 2019, the Countryside Alliance produced a report which detailed the number of crimes recorded by police forces at churches and other religious buildings in England, Wales and Northern Ireland using powers under
Freedom of Information
Freedom of information is freedom of a person or people to publish and consume information. Access to information is the ability for an individual to seek, receive and impart information effectively. This sometimes includes "scientific, Indigeno ...
laws. Police Scotland did not comply with the request. The final report found that between January 2017 and July 2019 over 20,000 crimes had been recorded, which included lead and metal theft, general theft, violent assault and vandalism. Following the publication of the report, The Countryside Alliance issued the following public statement: "As a society, irrespective of faith or none, we need to be much more vigilant when it comes to watching over churches and places of worship by reporting suspicious activity. These figures serve as a reminder of the importance of funding and pushing for visible policing, particularly in rural areas where churches are more remote."
Food and farming
The Countryside Alliance describes the food and farming industry as "nationally important" arguing it is responsible for "generating over £108 billion a year for the UK economy and employing one in eight people. It is particularly important for our most rural areas where farming is often central to the economic and social life of the community as well as playing a vital role in conservation".
Campaign for 'proper' labelling
During the UK
General Election of 2019, the organisation called for the next government to ensure food labelling showed where an animal was reared and slaughtered for all meat – including that where meat is an ingredient and part of an overall product. It argued "Country of origin food labelling must be mandatory for all processed meat to ensure a level playing field for hard-working British farmers after the United Kingdom leaves the European Union."
Opposition to Animal Rebellion
Following a planned occupation of
Smithfield Meat Market
Smithfield, properly known as West Smithfield, is a district located in Central London, part of Farringdon Without, the most westerly ward of the City of London, England.
Smithfield is home to a number of City institutions, such as St Bartho ...
in the
City of London
The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...
in opposition to the meat industry by animal rights group
Animal Rebellion
Animal Rebellion is an animal and climate justice movement with the stated aim of compelling government action towards a plant-based food system. Their justification for the introduction of such a system is the impact of animal agriculture on c ...
, the Countryside Alliance publicly stated that the group's activities would put the livelihoods of farmers and traders at risk. Speaking to The Telegraph newspaper, The CA's Chief Executive Tim Bonner said: "Their idea of a day out is to cause misery to others. They (Animal Rebellion) mask their political driven agenda by pretending to care about animals. They are fuelled by hatred of people and those that opt for an alternative lifestyle to them." A spokesman for the Countryside Alliance attended the occupation on 7 October 2019 to record a public video, opposing Animal Rebellion and calling on consumers to back UK farmers and sustainable meat production.
Campaign for Shooting
The Campaign for Shooting "gives a clear political and public voice to the shooting community". It lists its objectives as: to secure and enhance the long-term sustainability of the sport, and its associated land management practices, and to manage and reduce political risk at local, national and devolved levels.
On 12 August 2019, the Labour Party claimed that the financial benefits of shooting grouse were outweighed by the environmental cost and subsequently called for its review. The Countryside Alliance's Director of Shooting Adrian Blackmore stated "those with any knowledge of
grouse shooting and its associated management will know that some of the claims being made by Labour are complete nonsense, and if an independent review into grouse shooting would help increase Labour's understanding of its considerable environmental, economic and social benefits, then it should be welcomed."
Campaign for Hunting
The inception of the
Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 (c 37) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably Red fox, foxes, deer, European hare, hares and American mink, mink) with dogs in England and W ...
on 18 February 2005 saw traditional foxhunting and other forms of hunting with hounds become restricted. According to its website, The Countryside Alliance supports all forms of legal hunting, but continues to make clear that it will oppose what they believe is ultimately a bad piece of legislation. The group has stated that the ban, brought forward by the then Labour administration under
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
, is "the worst possible example of a law that was passed as an attack on a minority in society".
A proposed ban on
trail-hunting and hound exercise on public land submitted by a Labour Councillor in Essex saw the Countryside Alliance campaign against the motion brought forward to Essex County Council on 14 May 2019. The motion was defeated at a meeting of the Full Council at County Hall.
Following an announcement by the
Labour Party in August 2019 that it would strengthen the Hunting Act, the Countryside Alliance accused them of "reverting to class war" and said "We can't get any straight answers on what the problem (with foxhunting) is or what solutions Labour have, other than they seem to desperately want people who wear red coats and ride horses in court".
Boxing Day Meet
The Countryside Alliance promotes the annual
Boxing Day Meet of registered hunts throughout the United Kingdom, using an online mapping tool. It reports that around 300 hunts meet annually, with 25 in
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
alone.
Digital communications
The Countryside Alliance campaigns for better broadband and mobile connectivity in rural areas.
During the UK
General Election of 2019 the group welcomed an announcement by the
Conservative Party
The Conservative Party is a name used by many political parties around the world. These political parties are generally right-wing though their exact ideologies can range from center-right to far-right.
Political parties called The Conservative P ...
, which pledged to fast-track a plan for a 'Shared Rural Network', which the Prime Minister
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as F ...
claimed would see new masts built and existing infrastructure shared between the four mobile phone providers –
02,
Three
3 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
3, three, or III may also refer to:
* AD 3, the third year of the AD era
* 3 BC, the third year before the AD era
* March, the third month
Books
* '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...
,
Vodafone
Vodafone Group plc () is a British multinational telecommunications company. Its registered office and global headquarters are in Newbury, Berkshire, England. It predominantly operates services in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania.
, Vod ...
and
EE. A CA spokesman said at the time "For far too long the countryside has been left behind when it comes to mobile connectivity."
The Countryside Alliance publicly opposed a policy announcement by the Labour Party in November 2019, which pledged to
nationalise
Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately-owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to pri ...
broadband and provide free full-fibre broadband by 2030. The group stated on its website that "The Countryside Alliance is concerned that Labour's proposals to renationalise BT risks delaying broadband delivery in rural areas. By removing private investment and stifling competition, especially in the most remote areas of the countryside, they will disincentivise other tech businesses from delivering innovative solutions which are so important in closing the digital divide."
Hunting with hounds
The Alliance has long defended hunting and shooting, especially hunting with hounds, opposing the legislation (the
Hunting Act 2004
The Hunting Act 2004 (c 37) is an Act of Parliament, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which bans the hunting of most wild mammals (notably Red fox, foxes, deer, European hare, hares and American mink, mink) with dogs in England and W ...
) which came into effect in England and Wales in February 2005. Amongst other causes, the Scottish Countryside Alliance campaigns against the
Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002, which prohibited hunting north of the border. In 2002, the Alliance organised the Liberty & Livelihood March, one of the largest demonstrations in British history with almost half a million people marching through London to demonstrate against the proposed ban. The Countryside Alliance mounted a series of legal challenges to the Hunting Act 2004 which were not met with success.
Following the first conviction under the act, on 4 August 2006, the Alliance reaffirmed its belief that legislation was "illogical and unclear" and vowed to support the appeal against the conviction, which was later successful.
Critics of the Alliance claim that this is the sole focus of the organisation, a claim it denies, saying that this campaigning is a response to the (previous) government's "preoccupation with the issue". On BBC ''Newsnight'' on 18 November 2014,
Ann Mallalieu stated "What's actually happened to the foxes...because of the growth of commercial shooting...foxes are being shot at night by lampers...people with bright lights shooting them with guns..."
Countryside March: Liberty & Livelihood
In September 2002, the Countryside Alliance organised a march in central London to promote the interests of rural Britain. It was dubbed one of the largest marches of its type in history, with the BBC reporting around 400,000 in attendance.
The Countryside Alliance hailed the march as a huge success and it called on the government to make a "considered response". While a central focus of the march was to show opposition to a ban on hunting with hounds in England and Wales, a wide range of other grievances from rural communities were also being linked with the demonstration around farming.
Over 300,000 people were in attendance, including
Iain Duncan Smith
Sir George Iain Duncan Smith (born George Ian Duncan Smith; 9 April 1954), often referred to by his initials IDS, is a British politician who served as Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2001 to 2003. He was ...
,
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer.
Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chels ...
,
Edward Fox,
Clarissa Dickson-Wright,
Earl Spencer, and
Michael Marsham, 7th Earl of Romney
Michael Henry Marsham, 7th Earl of Romney (22 November 1910 – 5 June 2004), was a British hereditary peer who served in the House of Lords.
Early life
Michael Henry Marsham was born on 22 November 1910 at Washpit Farm on the Rougham Hall Esta ...
.
Richard Burge, the then Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance, said of the march "This is a march for the people and by the people and not simply rural people.The strength of support, not just from the countryside, but from towns and cities across the UK makes us feel both humble and proud."
The
British National Party
The British National Party (BNP) is a far-right, fascist political party in the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Wigton, Cumbria, and its leader is Adam Walker. A minor party, it has no elected representatives at any level of UK gover ...
had called for its members to join the march and support the countryside; however, the Countryside Alliance issued the following statement: "Everything we stand for is the opposite of what they believe in."
Countryside Rocks
The organisation held fundraising rock concerts in 2006 and 2007 under the banner "Countryside Rocks" which have attracted support from stars including
Pink Floyd's
Roger Waters,
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
's
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the rock band The Who.
Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include " My Generation", " Pinball Wizard", " Won't Get Fooled ...
,
Procol Harum
Procol Harum () were an English rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single " A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold over 10 million copies. Although noted for ...
's
Keith Reid
Keith Stuart Brian Reid (born 19 October 1946 Allmusic.com biography by Jason Ankeny/ref>) is a lyricist and songwriter who wrote the lyrics of every song released by Procol Harum that was not previously recorded by someone else, with the excep ...
,
Roxy Music
Roxy Music are an English rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry—who became the band's lead vocalist and principal songwriter—and bassist Graham Simpson. The other longtime members are Phil Manzanera (guitar), Andy Mackay (saxophone ...
's
Bryan Ferry
Bryan Ferry CBE (born 26 September 1945) is an English singer and songwriter. His voice has been described as an "elegant, seductive croon". He also established a distinctive image and sartorial style: according to ''The Independent'', Ferry an ...
,
Eric Clapton and
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
'
Mike Rutherford
Michael John Cloete Crawford Rutherford (born 2 October 1950) is an English guitarist, bassist and songwriter, co-founder of the rock band Genesis. Rutherford and keyboardist Tony Banks are the group's two continuous members.
Initially servin ...
.
Conflict with conservationists
The Countryside Alliance has previously expressed repeated concern over the governance of the
RSPCA
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is a charity operating in England and Wales that promotes animal welfare. The RSPCA is funded primarily by voluntary donations. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest and largest a ...
, which it argues has resulted in the charity pursuing "extremely questionable activities".
In 2017 the
Charity Commission announced it would be intervening, complaining that the RSPCA's standards of governance were 'unacceptably low'. In 2018, the Countryside Alliance's Chief Executive, Tim Bonner, argued that despite the intervention and recommendations by the Charity Commission, the RSPCA had not changed.
In a 2013 interview with ''The Daily Telegraph'', the Alliance's executive chairman, Lieutenant General Sir
Barney White-Spunner
Lieutenant General Sir Barnabas William Benjamin White-Spunner, (born 1957) is a retired British Army officer, who was subsequently executive chairman of the Countryside Alliance until 2016. He is an author, a director of Burstock Ltd. and was ...
, called the RSPCA a "sinister and nasty" organisation and urged Alliance members to stop donating to it. The RSPCA responded by saying: "Sir Barney White-Spunner's interview shows once again how far out of touch he and his colleagues at the pro bloodsports Countryside Alliance are with the reality of public opinion in this country." The Alliance has also criticised the
RSPB and called for the sacking of TV presenter
Chris Packham
Christopher Gary Packham CBE (born 4 May 1961) is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author, best known for his television work including the CBBC children's nature series '' The Really Wild Show'' from 1986 ...
.
See also
*
Pressure groups in the United Kingdom
:'' N.B.: Trade unions may be invariably described as pressure groups; these organisations should be mentioned at the list of trade unions in the United Kingdom article, not here.''
There are many pressure groups around the world. This is a list o ...
*
Vote-OK
__NOTOC__
Vote-OK is a group of political activists which were active on the topic of hunting animals during the 2005, 2010 and 2015 general election campaigns.
Vote-OK came into being in 2005 through the efforts of Gloucestershire farmer Charles ...
References
External links
Countryside Alliance official siteScottish Countryside AllianceCountryside Alliance Ireland
{{Authority control
Political advocacy groups in the United Kingdom
Politics and sports
Organizations established in 1997
Environmental organisations based in the United Kingdom
1997 establishments in the United Kingdom
Rural society in the United Kingdom
Hunting and shooting in the United Kingdom