Scottish Rural Action has been working with our sister civil society organisations for a number of years, strengthening our collective ability to give platform to rural and island communities' interests when it comes to policy and legislation reserved to Westminster.
Our network partners include:
- Action for Rural Communities in England
- Planed (Wales)
- Rural Community Network (Northern Ireland)
We also work closely with Irish Rural Link (Republic of Ireland).
In November 2023, at the Scottish Rural & Islands Parliament, the above organisations signed up to a shared Communiqué, recognising the need to formalise our relationship. The text of the communique is below and became the basis for our joint letter to political parties standing candidates in the 2024 general election. As well as shaping policy, one of our shared ambitions is to found a programme of cross border learning exchanges for rural and island community practitioners.
Communiqué from the UK / RoI session at the 2023 SRIP
Communiqué from the Cross-Border Round Table at the Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament, attended by organisations from rural England, Wales, Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
1. Context
Most policies affecting rural civil society are devolved to the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Senedd or the Northern Ireland Assembly, although some are reserved to the UK Government. For England, devolved matters remain the responsibility of the UK Parliament and are administered by the UK civil service. The operation of devolved powers are often in a state of evolution and challenge, but, for the immediate future, UK reserved matters will continue to have an impact on rural communities.
There are strong ties between civil society organisations in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and the United Kingdom. Where appropriate, and consistent with the provisions of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, rural communities will benefit from links being maintained between rural civil society organisations in the UK and the RoI.
2. Communiqué
Civil society organisations representing the interests of rural and island communities throughout the UK and Ireland, met during the Cross-Border Round Table at the 2023 Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament on 2nd November, and committed to working together over the coming years to:
- share learning and practice for the benefit of the rural and island communities that we serve, and with whom we work,
- articulate to current and future UK and Irish Governments’ needs, aspirations and opportunities arising in rural and island communities,
- encourage the UK and Irish Governments and all UK nations, to collaborate where appropriate over rural policy, so as to make possible integrated and effective rural community strategies within the UK & RoI, UK and individual nations,
- establish an ongoing mechanism for co-operation that can adapt as needed to changes in national governance across the UK and Ireland.