Richard Spring MP
Member of Parliament for West Suffolk

Our village schools play a vital role in our local communities. They offer parents choice and a reason for young families to stay. Yet this weekend, it was reported that 300 village schools across the country are being targeted for closure as part of cost-cutting measures. This will have a devastating impact on local communities.

Despite the Government promising to protect small schools, there has been a significant reduction in the past decade.

Official figures show that 219 schools with fewer than 100 pupils have closed since 1997. Many have been in rural areas. At the same time, the number of primary schools with more than 400 pupils had risen by almost a third.

Small schools provide an excellent education so instead of closing them we should be doing everything we can to support them. The Government have tried to shift the blame on any possible closures on to local authorities. Yet poor Government funding for rural areas is playing a major part in these decisions.  

It is yet another example of a Government that has a complete lack of understanding of the rural way of life. They have little regard for genuine local communities which do have close ties and bonds.

Thankfully, Suffolk County Council has pledged to protect the future of Suffolk’s village schools. But our Post Offices are under enormous threat. We receive poor public investment in transport, education and health compared to urban areas.

The rural way of life in Britain is under threat as never before. The Government should remember that not everyone lives in a big city with easy access to essential services. Our small towns and villages need them too.

One of the defining features in rural towns and villages across the country has always been the local Post Office. Often run by the same person or family for many years, they provide an excellent local service for rural dwellers who would otherwise have to travel many miles, to do a basic task such as sending a parcel.

However, as we are well aware, post offices in the past were able to provide a much wider range of other services rather than simply selling stamps. It was possible to apply for a drivers licence, pay for a television licence and collect pension payments.

Since coming to power this Government have treated rural dwellers and their way of life with a complete lack of understanding. This has been particularly noticeable with post offices. They have little regard for genuine local communities which do have close ties and bonds. Here, post offices are often the centre of village life.

That is why I was so disappointed to learn that the Government is looking to close up to 7000 post offices, many in rural areas. Over the past 10 years, more than 5,000 post offices have already closed. We should be giving sub-postmasters more responsibilities and allowing them to take on new roles so that they become a one-stop-shop for a wide range of services – that would be a much better way to help sustain and rejuvenate local rural communities. 

Before becoming the Member of Parliament for Newmarket, I part owned two racehorses. It gives you a flavour of their success that on its first outing on the July Course at Newmarket, one of the horses parted company with the jockey……..before the race! 

The Dubai ruling family, the Maktoums, own substantial chunks of land in and around my constituency. They have massively contributed to the revived success of British horseracing. Over the decades, it has been South African mining magnates to Greek shipowners who have been attracted to owning racehorses trained in Newmarket, which is the world headquarters of racing. 

On Friday, the most expensive horse ever run in England, owned by the Maktoums, ran in the first race. Despite being the favourite, it came fourth. Oh dear…and the colt cost over £5 million! 

Owning a racehorse can be the most frustrating and most exhilarating experience. 

On Friday it was the bookies who were the winners, But that’s racing for you!