Farmers urged to vote for pro-rural councillors in 2023 local elections

Local elections take place on Thursday 4 May in England with more than 8,000 seats being contested at 230 councils

Rural campaigners have urged farmers to scrutinise potential councillors about their priorities for the countryside in next week's local elections.

The Countryside Alliance said farmers should vote for pro-rural councillors after a string of local councils voted to impose bans on meat and dairy.

Local elections take place on Thursday 4 May with more than 8,000 seats being contested at 230 councils across England.

Mayoral elections are also taking place in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.

The Countryside Alliance said that the past years’ experience has made “clearer than ever” the importance of farmers and rural communities turning out to vote.

It said that farmers and rural businesses should vote for candidates "who understand the countryside and its communities".

Ahead of last year’s local elections the campaigning organisation warned of a “growing threat” to rural communities from local councils passing “virtue-signalling motions” attacking their way of life at the “behest of a shouty activist minority”.

David Bean, the group's government relations manager said: “The targets of animal rights activists have grown beyond the customary punching bags of hunting, shooting and allied occupations to encompass livestock farming as a concept”.

It follows the controversial decision by Oxford City Council to adopt solely plant-based menus at their events, and Edinburgh City Council’s endorsement of an activists’ charter under the name of the ‘ Plant-Based Treaty’.

The Countryside Alliance said it was 'concerned' that other authorities may 'blindly follow'.

The treaty’s ‘demands’ could mean council’s take meat and dairy off the menu at every facility it controls – including schools and care homes – regardless of the wishes of the people who use them.

Mr Bean added: “We urge farmers and all rural people to reserve your support for candidates who will stand up for the rural Britain and, critically, who won’t fall prey to the lure of fashionable bandwagons and easy headlines.

"At a time when all focus should be on supporting economic recovery and providing well-functioning local services, attacking livestock farming and food choice should be well below the bottom of the to-do list”.

This year’s local elections will be the first in England to require voters to produce photographic ID.

Voters must ensure they bring an acceptable form of identification with them to the polling station.

In Northern Ireland elections will take place on 18 May; there are no local elections this year in Scotland or Wales.