Countryside group misses deadline to form rural council
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Your support makes all the difference.The Countryside Alliance has failed to meet its deadline to set up a "broad-based" rural council within 40 days of the 40,000-strong protest in London in September.
Organisers said at the time that swift moves to form a pressure group were necessary to retain the confidence of members. They announced a deadline of 1 November.
Despite the Alliance's claims that it wanted to include the main countryside players, organisers have ignored key rural groups who shunned the predominantly pro-hunting Liberty and Livelihood March on 22 September.
The Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE), the National Trust and Friends of the Earth have not been asked to a preliminary meeting set for 25 November. Richard Burge, the Alliance's chief executive, wrote to other rural groups: "I feel we have to move fast if we are to maintain the impetus created by the march, and to retain the confidence of our members."
The Alliance has been trying to fend off claims that its message is dominated by the hunting issue and said it would be an equal partner with other groups on the rural council, described as a TUC for the countryside. It began a publicity campaign to coincide with the start of the hunting season yesterday to try to shake off the image that it is a pursuit for "toffs". A spokesman said the Government had been "banging on" about hunting while the group wanted to talk about other issues.
But Sue Evans, who is issuing the invitations to the preliminary meeting, said: "It's leaning towards country sports because that's where their e-mail list is." Asked why the National Trust and the CPRE had not invited, she said: "I wonder why."
The Alliance said more than 20 rural organisations were due to attend the meeting at Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, but would not give details or say what was on the agenda until it was confirmed by the Bishop of Hereford, the Right Rev John Oliver, who is to chair the meeting.
Kate Parminter, the director of the CPRE, said she was unsurprised her group had not been invited. "Who they have invited is indicative of what they are trying to achieve," she said. "We don't need any more talking shops."
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