About
The Labour Rural Research Group (LRRG) is a group of over 35 rural and semi-rural Labour MPs – Labour’s ‘rural wall’. We have been set up to support the government’s mission to deliver for the UK.
​
The government was elected on the promise of change and rural areas should be at the heart of our national ambitions. But the distinct challenges facing rural Britain require deep and careful consideration.
​
The LRRG is focused on bringing forward research, evidence and policy ideas that will help unlock the potential of our rural communities while highlighting the challenges our rural communities face.
​
The LRRG is chaired by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, MP for Suffolk Coastal, and James Naish, MP for Rushcliffe, is Vice-Chair.
Rural Poverty:
Our next report
Deadline for submissions:
6th January 2026
LRRG has launched a call for submissions to inform our upcoming report on rural poverty, which seeks to deepen our understanding of the challenges faced by rural and remote communities.
The government’s recently published Indices of Deprivation in Rural Areas (October 2025) has made clear that measuring poverty and deprivation in rural areas is difficult. Whilst rural poverty is widespread, it is rarely concentrated in the same way as in urban areas - instead of clusters of deprivation, rural disadvantage tends to appear in isolated pockets across otherwise more prosperous regions. This can result in the true extent of rural deprivation being masked or understated.
We are, therefore, inviting individuals, community organisations, charities, local authorities, academics, and service providers to share their insights and policy suggestions to tackle deprivation in rural areas. We welcome contributions that explore one or more of the following seven domains identified in the 2025 Indices of Deprivation:
​
-
Income - income stability, hidden poverty, take-up rates of benefits in rural areas, the 'rural premium', and fuel poverty.
-
Employment - access to stable, well-paid work, hidden employment deprivation and barriers to employment, the decline of agriculture, forestry and fishing industries.
-
Education, Skills & Training - accessibility and opportunities for lifelong learning and progression.
-
Health & Disability - access to quality health and care services, social isolation and mental health.
-
Crime - perceptions and realities of rural safety and the under-estimation and definition of rural crimes.
-
Barriers to Services - access to GP surgery, primary schools, food store, and post offices; car availability, provision, and frequency of public transport, the costs of both transport and service use; digital connectivity and availability of entertainment/public activity.
-
Housing & Living Environment - affordability, quality and accessibility of housing, applications for housing support and rural homelessness; energy efficiency and energy costs.
​
Submission must take the form of written evidence, and can be case studies, research summaries or qualitative reflections. Both organisational and individual contributions are welcome.
​
Submission can be made directly by emailing: info@labourruralresearchgroup.com​
Read our first research report: Understanding Rural Britain
Our first report revealed the shifting political dynamics in rural Britain following Labour’s historic 2024 General Election victory.
​
Based on a survey of over 1,400 rural voters conducted between 30 June and 14 July 2025, 'Understanding Rural Britain' sets out the issues, identities and expectations shaping the political landscape across the UK’s countryside.