Boris Johnson to resign as Conservative leader
7th July 2022
The next Conservative leader will have an “uphill battle” to win back the trust of rural voters, says Mark Tufnell, president of the Country, Land and Business Association.
Boris Johnson is set to step down as Conservative leader today after swathes of Tory resignations since Tuesday evening. He will stay on as Prime Minister until autumn to allow a Tory leadership contest to take place.
A total of 25 ministers and five members of the Cabinet, as well as 29 parliamentary private secretaries and other staff, have resigned since it was revealed that the Prime Minister was told about allegations made against deputy chief whip Chris Pincher as far back as 2019.
Commenting after the announcement, CLA president Mark Tufnell said rural communities feel “ignored, angry, and forgotten about. And for good reason”.
CLA polls have shown that the Tories are now neck-and-neck with Labour in rural areas – a swing of 7.5% since the 2019 general election.
Mr Tufnell warned that a robust plan is needed for the rural economy, to prevent the Blue Wall crumbling further – warning that the Tories risk losing “the hearts and minds” of 12 million voters.
He added: “The rural economy is 18% less productive than the national average, leading to a stagnant economy and limited aspiration. Boris Johnson had no plans to fix this chronic problem – the next Prime Minister must.
“Less than half of rural areas have adequate 4G coverage, let alone 5G. Rural homes remain even less affordable than those in urban areas, while rural jobs pay less.
“Despite all this, the rural economy was nowhere to be seen in the Levelling Up White Paper.”
Mr Tufnell called on the next Prime Minister to have a “robust and ambitious plan” for the countryside to create jobs and opportunities for all. “This doesn’t require lots of public money, it simply requires a government that understands the potential rural businesses have to level up the country.”
