Nominee Summary
Harriet Cross was elected as the Member of Parliament for Gordon and Buchan in the 2024 General Election after a successful career working as a rural surveyor in Aberdeenshire. Upon being elected Harriet quickly established herself as a leading voice in parliament on rural issues, taking a prominent role in opposition to the 'Family Farm Tax' proposed in the government's Autumn Budget, and standing up for communities and businesses in Aberdeenshire and across the UK through her work in parliament.
Nominee – Qualities
Since being elected to serve as a Member of Parliament for Gordon and Buchan in 2024, Harriet has provided a voice for Scotland's rural businesses and communities in Westminster in the face of several concerning developments in rural policy coming from the newly elected government there. With a background in the rural sector, Ms Cross has been particularly well placed to bring her knowledge and experience of living and working in a rural area in to parliament to raise awareness of the challenges our sector faces, and the need to consider the impact of policy, legislation and spending decisions on rural communities. During Harriet's short time in parliament, she has skillfully raised the plight of Scottish farmers in the face of the Family Farm Tax, raising questions to the Prime Minister, Chancellor, and Rural Affairs Secretary, and discussing this issue widely in the press and in broadcast. The manner in which Ms Cross hit the ground running in her political career quickly earned her a spot on the front benches as an opposition whip.
Nominee - Sectoral Impact
Harriet brings much needed experience in the rural sector to the UK Parliament, ensuring that there is a voice for rural Scotland in key debates and questions. Her impact on the rural sector has been to ensure that the UK Government and MPs in Westminster are cognisant of the challenges the sector faces. Her campaign to stand up for Scottish farmers have placed rural issues on the agenda in the Commons to a great extent, helping to create air time for rural issues both in the debating chamber and in the press. The tangible impact this is having is leading to greater public awareness of the contribution the rural sector makes to society.
Nominee - Going the extra mile
Ms Cross has been one of the key driving forces behind the campaign to scrap the Family Farm Tax, playing a significant role in protests in Whitehall against the proposals, and raising the issue with the UK Government through every means possible, whether writing letters demonstrating the impact the changes would have on her constituents, asking questions to the Prime Minister in the debating chamber, or appearing on broadcast and writing in the papers about the impact on rural businesses. Her approach to this campaign and many other rural issues stands out as being worthy of nomination for the award of Rural Rising Star as she has used her profile as a young MP with experience in the rural sector to make the case as robustly as possible against the introduction of the Family Farm Tax.
