A Labour minister has dismissed the traditional image of Britain centred on warm ale, country pubs and black Labradors as a “far-Right” fantasy that “never really existed”.
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, appointed nature minister in July, said she was concerned the far-Right could turn that imagined version of rural Britain into a major political battleground at the next general election.
Speaking at a fringe event during Labour’s conference, she said the prospect of the countryside being “weaponised” by the far-Right was something that left her “awake at night”.
Ms Riddell-Carpenter told party members: “This is one of the things I do stay awake at night about, think about and fear.
“If we do not make the case for nature, rural communities and our own vision for life in the countryside, I believe the next election could be fought along the dividing line of nature and rural affairs.
“The far-Right will be the ones trying to define what that vision looks like.
“It will be a nostalgic picture of Britain that never truly existed.
“It will feature warm ale, a black Labrador at your feet in a pub that does not exist, and symbolism linked to fox hunting. It will be a deeply far-Right, nostalgic vision of Britain that we do not want — and that never really existed.”
Jenny Riddell-Carpenter made the controversial remarks during a fringe meeting at Labour’s conference in Liverpool today
She said the familiar picture of rural Britain featuring pubs, warm ale and black Labradors “never really existed”
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake called for an apology and said the Conservatives would “always stand up for rural Britain”
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The Suffolk Coastal MP said Labour would instead promote a “progressive vision for the countryside” as it seeks to challenge the far-Right’s influence.
However, figures cited after her comments appeared to challenge the suggestion that rural life built around Labradors, pubs and traditional drinks was purely fictional.
The 2021 Census recorded about 9.5 million people living in rural settlements, representing roughly 17 per cent of the UK population.
Official registration data also showed that the Labrador was the UK’s most frequently registered dog breed last year. Almost 30,000 Labradors were added to the Royal Kennel Club’s records, making the breed nearly four times as popular as the French bulldog.
Meanwhile, Labour is pursuing tighter restrictions on trail hunting, a move critics have warned could put as many as 1,000 rural jobs at risk. The Countryside Alliance says rural hunts contribute around £100 million to the countryside economy each year.
The minister’s comments prompted an angry response from the Conservative Party chairman.
Kevin Hollinrake, the MP for the rural North Yorkshire constituency of Thirsk and Malton, told Our News Outlet: “Labour believes the countryside, the pub, the dog and the people who enjoy them are far-Right.
“Labour is taxing pubs out of existence as part of its sustained attack on the countryside, with almost two closing every day. That is a much more immediate reason to lose sleep.
“The Conservatives will always stand up for rural Britain — for its pubs, farms and countryside, and above all for the people who keep those communities going.”
‘Andy Burnham should make his minister apologise to every one of them.’
