Countryside Alliance

08/09/2026

Facing a tidal wave of public outcry, City of Doncaster Council has rightly paused its plans to ban angling at Askern Lake.

07/09/2026

In just two years, the government has announced or imposed 27 policies that are harmful to the countryside and rural communities.

06/09/2026

We’ve had a great response to the latest video highlighting our Campaign for the Countryside, calling on the government to urgently reset its relationship with rural people.

Find out more, link below ⬇️

06/09/2026

“It is time for this government to grasp that the countryside can be a major part of the solution to Britain's problems, not just a burden or an afterthought. The countryside will deliver growth if it is allowed to do that. All we are asking is that the government recognises the needs of rural communities and works with them, not against them. Now is the time for a rural reset”

✍️Tim Bonner on the Campaign for the Countryside ⬇️

On 14 September, in Westminster, we will be launching a Campaign for the Countryside to promote the opportunity for the Prime Minister to reset the government's relationship with the rural community.

05/09/2026

We are asking the government to work with rural communities, not against them.

It’s time for a rural reset.

Find out more➡️ https://www.ruralreset.org/

05/09/2026

Our new analysis has revealed that in just two years, the government has announced or imposed 27 policies that are harmful to the countryside and rural communities.

This includes imposing inheritance tax on farmers and agricultural businesses, as well as plans to ban trail hunting and restrict game shooting.

We are asking the government to work with rural communities, not against them. Now is the time for a rural reset.

The Countryside Alliance is set to launch a new campaign demanding Andy Burnham resets the Government’s relationship with rural Britain.

04/09/2026

An unprecedented range of government policies over the past two years have left rural people feeling under attack.

If political leaders want to speak for all parts of the country, they have to hear the countryside too.

Now is the time for a rural reset.

More about our Campaign for the Countryside here ➡️ https://www.ruralreset.org/

03/09/2026

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨

The government looks poised to make YET ANOTHER attack on game shooting...

03/09/2026

The government looks poised to make yet another attack on rural communities with a Call for Evidence to be launched tomorrow looking at almost all aspects of shooting...

03/09/2026

Tim Bonner's latest piece for the Critic examines how the Johnson years’ embrace of animal rights did lasting damage to the Conservatives’ relationship with the countryside...

02/09/2026

Party conference season is about to kick off...

The Countryside Alliance will be attending all major party conferences this year, as usual.

First up is Reform conference this Friday - if you're attending, come along.

01/09/2026

🦆 Welcome to the Wildfowling Season! 🌅

The Countryside Alliance would like to wish all our members a safe, enjoyable and successful start to the wildfowling season today.

Thank you to the Countryside Alliance Ireland team for the list below of important responsibilities to bear in mind as you head out onto the foreshore, estuary, lough or marsh and into this new season:

🔹 Use steel shot where required. Please ensure you are familiar with and comply with all current regulations regarding non-toxic shot.

🔹 Take only what you intend to eat. Wildfowling is about enjoying the countryside, the activity and the quarry. Please ensure every bird taken is properly utilised and never take more than you can reasonably use.

🔹 Carry out a dynamic risk assessment before and during every outing for both yourself and your dog. Conditions can change quickly, particularly around waterways, with tides, mud, weather, water levels and other hazards all requiring consideration.

🐕 Take particular care around any areas where blue-green algae is known to be present or has been identified. Blue-green algae can pose a serious risk to dogs. Do not allow your dog to drink from or enter water where blue-green algae is present or suspected, and check for current local warnings before setting out. Conditions can change quickly, so always assess the area on the day.

Above all, stay safe, respect the countryside, look after your dog and represent wildfowling responsibly.

Good luck, stay safe and enjoy the wildfowling! 🦆🌾

01/09/2026

🪶 Partridge season is here!

After months of preparation, habitat management and hard work, the wait is over.

To all our members, supporters and friends across the shooting community, we wish you a wonderful season ahead, with good days in the field, great company and the continuation of a tradition that brings together people, wildlife, farming and the countryside.

Have a great season! 🌿

01/09/2026

Bluetongue is having a devastating effect on livestock farmers. Today's Daily Express examines the issue, with David Bean of the Countryside Alliance talking about this "quiet catastrophe" in the countryside.

01/09/2026

🎣 A win for anglers at Askern Lake 💪

A blanket fishing ban proposed by Doncaster Council has been put on hold following a strong local backlash, with more than 1,200 residents signing a petition opposing the move.

After the Countryside Alliance worked with local anglers to challenge the decision and make the case for keeping fishing at the lake, the council has now confirmed there is no ban, while a "multi-agency action plan" is developed.

It’s an important reminder that local communities should not have their access to angling removed without proper consultation - and that when communities stand together, they can make a difference.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/4qPB4MO

31/08/2026

🚨🗞️Askern angling ban story hits national news.

The ban has been lifted for now, but the pressure is on to secure its future.

The council would be making a big mistake curtailing such a popular activity at this community hub.

It is vital “multi-agency” discussions about the future of angling at the lake involve the angling community. We will be writing to Doncaster Council to stress the importance of this.

30/08/2026

The future of shooting is under threat.

30/08/2026

“Those of us who lived through the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001 know exactly how this sort of mass livestock mortality impacts rural communities.

“Farming tends to be a lonely business at the best of times and when you add in the threat of a devastating disease and worries about feeding stock the pressure can be intense.

“No one expects politicians to produce miracle cures, but a Department for Rural Affairs should be communicating the seriousness of the situation facing the farming community and doing everything it can to ease the load on affected farmers”.

✍️Tim Bonner⬇️

There is a current fallacy in British politics that it is difficult to do anything, that the state does not work and that when Ministers pull the levers of power nothing happens. The reality is that during Keir Starmer’s two years as Prime Minister, the government did things, they just tended to b...

29/08/2026

The Countryside Alliance's Roger Seddon speaks about the risk new fi****ms licensing recommendations pose to legitimate gun ownership and the future of shooting.

28/08/2026

Compulsory fi****ms test?
In-person medicals?

Shotgun ownership is at risk from police proposals.

Find out more: https://bit.ly/4xq4bIN

28/08/2026

🚨Firearms ownership at risk🚨 New HMIC report recommends crackdown

28/08/2026

The police watchdog's new report into fi****ms licensing contains a raft of new regulations that would devastate the shooting sector and cause untold damage to the rural economy

27/08/2026

Latest angling ban defeated.

On Monday morning the City of Doncaster Council confirmed that it had taken the “difficult decision” to suspend fishing at Askern Lake, by removing reference to fishing at the lake and for ‘no fishing’ signs to be installed.

However, following a big community campaign, the council has confirmed there is no ban and that the ‘no fishing signs’ have been put on hold until a “multi-agency action plan” has been drawn up.

Introducing a blanket ban was an extremely drastic approach to trying to fix alleged issues that can be resolved through dialogue and partnership.

Angling and biodiversity go hand in hand with many anglers acting as the primary stewards of lakes and local waterways.

It is vitally important that local authorities avoid making knee-jerk decisions that can have profound and very damaging consequences for local communities. It’s clear from the huge outcry from local people that fishing is seen as part of Askern’s identity. There is absolutely no justification for curtailing it and the council must ensure it remains at the lake permanently.

We will continue to monitor the situation closely.