Stuart Anderson MP has blasted the government's spending plans, which he says neglects the needs of rural areas like South Shropshire. He has said that rural areas, which contribute £250 billion to the economy, are not receiving a fair deal from the government.
Stuart's comments are in response to the Chancellor's Spending Review, which was delivered on Wednesday 11th June. This sets out how the government will spend more than £600 billion of taxpayer's money in each of the next few years.
In a series of interventions over several months, Stuart had urged Ministers to deliver fairer funding for rural areas. He had said that supporting public services, family farmers, and local businesses could unleash rural prosperity.
Unveiling her spending plans, the Chancellor said: "The purpose of this spending review... is to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities."
However, Stuart has said that the government's spending plans, which include an extra £113 billion for infrastructure, is almost exclusively focused on city regions at the expense of rural areas.
It is being paid for by borrowing, which adds to national debt. New figures show borrowing this April was £1 billion higher than last April. Stuart has said that the Chancellor should have used the Spending Review to change direction and steer the economy towards growth.
The latest labour market figures reveal that 276,000 people have lost their jobs since the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget, which announced a £25 billion Jobs Tax. It has pushed unemployment to the highest since the pandemic.
Stuart said that the Chancellor's urban bias contradicts a speech that the Chancellor had made just last week. On 4th June 2025, she said her plans would ensure that "every person should have the same opportunities as others to thrive and succeed…"
Stuart has slated "outrageous plans" to cut sustainable farming initiatives, as Food Ministers have instead pledged to boost farm profitability. The Spending Review revealed plans for "rapidly winding down subsidy payments" for farmers.
Funding available to the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs is being cut by 2.7%. Meanwhile, funding for roads and transport schemes is being cut by 5%.
Stuart has said that the cuts are devastating, after farmers lost £1.19 billion in income from arable crops last year. Analysis has found that a £100 million reduction in funding could result in 239,000 fewer hectares of nature-friendly farmland.
Stuart has added that squeezed funding for the police could derail the manifesto commitment to recruit an extra 13,000 officers. It follows the revelation that West Mercia Police will only be able to recruit 12 new officers with the funding it has been given this year.
Stuart has also questioned plans to award above-inflation pay rises for public sector workers. Despite budgeting for 2.8 per cent pay rises, Ministers have agreed to increases ranging from 3.25 per cent to 6 per cent - costing £6.9 billion this year alone.
Stuart has said that this could potentially erode capital budgets for investment in new equipment at schools and hospitals. The Chancellor has also announced £30 billion to improve the NHS.
Stuart has said he wants South Shropshire to receive a "fair share" of the health funding, having raised the importance of rural healthcare provision including community hospitals in Parliament.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"The Chancellor should have used the Spending Review to change direction and steer us towards growth. However, her decisions neglect the needs of rural areas like South Shropshire. In a forty-five-minute speech, the Chancellor didn't refer to rural communities at all. 276,000 people have lost their jobs since their Autumn Budget announced a £25 billion Jobs Tax. This has pushed unemployment to the highest since the pandemic. Her spending plans are almost exclusively focused on big cities at the expense of rural areas, where our farmers will lose vital sustaining farming funding we introduced. This contradicts a speech she gave only last week, where she committed to ensuring everyone has the same opportunities to thrive and succeed. Rural areas, which contribute £250 billion to the economy, are not receiving a fair deal from this government. It is my mission to change this for the better."
