A major report published by the Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) reveals that rural poverty is deeper and more widespread than official statistics suggest, with families across the countryside – including in rural communities in Rushcliffe – facing a structural “rural penalty”. Households in rural areas routinely pay around £60 more per week for essential items such as transport, food and energy, simply to reach a basic standard of living.
The 49-page report, sponsored by Countryside Alliance, highlights the acute impact of the current global energy crisis on rural communities, particularly households off the gas grid. Rising domestic heating oil and LPG prices, driven by global instability in the Middle East, have left thousands of rural homes struggling to heat their homes at affordable rates.
The vast majority of Rushcliffe properties don’t rely on oil central heating, but the figure is as high as 14.5% of households in Keyworth North, Tollerton and Willoughby, and 9% in Cropwell Bishop, Kinoulton and Upper Broughton, according to ONS data. As a result, Rushcliffe’s MP James Naish was among 41 MPs that wrote to the government last weekend about the issue.
Research conducted for the report – which includes evidence from local councils, NHS bodies, charities, rural businesses and dedicated focus groups with rural residents – shows that rural households face longer journeys, fewer service options and higher costs for basic necessities. Transport unreliability, overstretched health services, limited education pathways and poor digital connectivity combine to place a disproportionate burden on families living outside urban areas.
Commenting on the findings, James Naish MP, Vice-Chair of the LRRG which published the research, said: “As I said in parliament last June, there was a rural White Paper in 1995, followed by a similar one in 2000, but then there was a 15-year gap until a productivity plan was released and another eight-year gap until the “Unleashing rural opportunity” paper of 2023 which was only 28 pages in total. We have to do better than this for our rural areas.
“Here in Rushcliffe, we have some fantastic rural communities, but I know that life isn’t always as easy for them due to higher energy and food costs, less accessible transport and more limited public services. It’s time that another holistic Rural Strategy was put together to tackle these issues.”
The LRRG report contains 24 recommendations and sets out a package of targeted reforms designed to address the structural drivers of rural poverty, including:
- Providing government intervention on the emerging off-grid fuel crisis, drawn into acute focus due to conflict in the Middle East.
- Establishing a Rural Basket Delivery Guarantee, in partnership with the big six supermarkets, to ensure rural food and retail deserts are covered by delivery services and that rural residents can access the same affordable supermarkets and price deals as their urban neighbours.
- Adapting the JobsPlus model for rural Britain, delivering community-based employment support through farming groups, rural charities, church networks and trusted community anchors rather than solely through Jobcentres.
- Prioritising rural areas in the rollout of the Neighbourhood Health Service, ensuring healthcare delivery reflects rural realities and access needs.
- Expanding Rural Exception Sites to increase the supply of genuinely affordable homes for local people.
- Establishing a Great British Rural Connectivity Taskforce to accelerate broadband and mobile rollout in underserved rural communities.
- Investing in rural SEND provision by repurposing surplus school capacity to expand specialist support within existing local schools.
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP, Chair of the LRRG, added: “For millions across the countryside, hardship is a daily reality. Without cross-government reform, rural communities will continue to face higher costs and weaker service access. A Rural Strategy could unleash the potential of rural Britain and deliver real growth for our rural heartlands.”
The LRRG will use these findings to guide policy development throughout 2026, ensuring that tackling rural poverty remains central to government action.
Download the full report: labourruralresearchgroup.com
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Key findings from the evidence base:
- DEFRA data shows rural households spend on average £39 more per week on transport and £6 more per week on food than their urban counterparts — adding up to thousands of pounds in additional essential spending each year.
- Energy costs are significantly higher too. Median rural fuel bills stand at £2,740, compared with £1,978 in London. Many rural homes are off the gas grid and rely on more expensive and volatile heating fuels.
- Benefit under-claiming is markedly worse in rural communities. Pension Credit non-take-up rises from 35% in urban areas to 42% in rural areas, reaching 54% in villages and hamlets.
- Rural authorities, meanwhile, delivered just 17,506 affordable homes in 2024–25 (compared with 47,256 in urban areas) when 44% of rural private rentals are classed as non-decent (compared with 21% nationally).
- Average rural broadband speeds (51 Mb/s) fall well below urban averages (84 Mb/s), yet rural residents are increasingly expected to rely on digital alternatives where physical services are withdrawn.
