As Parliament returned at the start of 2026, there was an oversubscribed debate on rural communities in Parliament. Due to its popularity, unfortunately I was not called to speak – sometimes this happens – but I was able to listen to a range of experiences from across the country as fellow MPs shared their concerns.

South West Devon is a mixed urban and rural constituency. From a land mass perspective, it is roughly 10% built up, 52% agricultural land and 30% forest and semi-natural. Around 60% of my constituents live in Plymouth within around 10% of the area of South West Devon. The countryside and coast of the South Hams and rugged Dartmoor National Park are effectively the backyard for my Plymouth constituents. Why share this? Because attacks on rural life, like those we are currently experiencing, affect urban and rural dwellers alike.

There has been much talk about the cruel family farm and family business inheritance taxes the government initiated. Targeting many small and medium sized businesses in South West Devon, its threat has had a knock on impact on rural and urban communities. So, whilst I welcome the partial u-turn announced at the end of the year as a badly wrapped Christmas gift, it should never have taken months of opposition campaigning and the growing panic of rural MPs from the government benches to undo such a disastrous policy.

Ahead of the debate, I conducted a short survey of constituents, asking them to share their views on rural life in South West Devon. The overarching concerns were of rural transport connectivity and a loss of livelihoods and food production if the government keeps attacking the countryside. These views hit the nail on the head. The government’s assault on all businesses is having a marked impact in rural communities. Both the visible when a local pub or café is under threat of closure or the invisible as business costs increase and jobs and services are impacted.

Nothings speaks to the threat to rural life than the government’s egregious stealth tax rises on rural businesses. Just last week, one pub in my constituency shared how increased brewery costs meant a rise in the cost of a pint. However, more distressing was the fact that the increases to the national minimum wage, business rates, national insurance contributions, wholesale costs and utility bills from April 2026, was set to cost them £70,000. This is just not acceptable or sustainable.

The government appears to be asleep at the wheel, everyone else watching the crash in slow motion. Whether we are debating rural communities, hospitality, the wholesale industry, leisure, the narrative is the same. Business is at risk, jobs are being lost and more people are relying on our bloated welfare system. Yet, as more and more businesses close, it is obvious that it is not just people’s livelihoods at risk, the essence of our local rural communities is under threat too. I grew up in the city but spent leisure time in the countryside. As your MP, I now spend as much time in the countryside as I do elsewhere – and I especially enjoy visiting local pubs and cafes. As the reality of the Budget is coming to light, I am committed to doing all I can to protect our rural way of life and the rural economy for all of my constituents – the town and the country dwellers.