Austerity’s impact on rural poverty has been overlooked

Researchers at Cardiff University, Queen Mary University of London, and University of Exeter have revealed the significant impact of austerity on rural areas. The findings, published in the Journal of Rural Studies , provide the most comprehensive account to date of how changes in spending power and service spending have affected rural communities in England and Wales. Using both statistical and qualitative data, the research highlights how austerity has compounded long-standing but often ignored problems of rural poverty. Academics say the research provides new evidence of the 'hollowing out' of rural local government through the closure of libraries, youth centres and transport services and the ways local authority spending power has diminished through the merger of District Councils and creation of Unitary Authorities. According to analysis, the establishment of Dorset Unitary Authority in 2019 amounted to a loss of £21.7m (-6.59%) in 2019-20 core spending power. Similarly, the creation of West Suffolk District Council in 2019 amounted to a loss of £3.3m, or 16. Changes which could have a direct and rapid impact on food insecurity are also disproportionately affecting people in rural areas, according to the study.