Improving rural broadband dominates the promises made to date by more than 75 election candidates using the CLA Pledge for a Thriving Countryside.
Today the number of CLA Election Pledges has passed 75, with election candidates committing to support rural businesses if they are elected to Parliament in May.
More than half of the election pledges made to date include a commitment to better rural broadband, including the pledges made by Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, Minister for Europe David Lidington, and Helen Goodman who is standing for re-election in Bishop Auckland.
Environment Secretary Liz Truss was among the first parliamentary candidates to make a CLA Pledge, and every Secretary of State for Defra since 2010 has followed suit.
CLA President Henry Robinson said: “The CLA message on rural broadband is really cutting through and we are delighted so many candidates from across the political spectrum are picking it out as a priority. In the past fortnight we have also seen promises to improve connectivity in all of the main parties’ manifestos. Our focus will be on holding politicians to their pledge once they are in Parliament.”
