MPs protest as Minister axes rural affairs tsar

The post, held by Stuart Burgess, is being abandoned with immediate effect.

But Ministers are being urged to rethink the move, which comes just a day after Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman announced plans to abolish the Commission for Rural Communities, which is chaired by Mr Burgess.

"We have considered carefully whether the role of the Rural Advocate is required now in light of the broader rural support the Coalition Government has and whether it can be justified in the current constrained economic circumstances," said a senior source. "The conclusion is that it cannot.

"The Rural Advocate role will cease with immediate effect. This role does not fit with government priorities on arms length bodies and the Rural Minister Richard Benyon will advocate for rural people from the heart of the Defra ministerial team."

Tim Farron, a senior Liberal Democrat and chairman of the all-party group on hill farming, said: "The role of somebody who is outside of government, across departments, to look at rural policy and decisions taken by all departments, is very, very important."

The all-party group is to ask the government to allow the role to continue in a slimmed-down form.

Labour's Shadow Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "If they do abolish the rural advocate, I think that is a great mistake. Stuart Burgess has done a really impressive job in listening to and representing the concerns of rural communities and that's a voice the government needs to continue to hear."