Between 2009 and 2019 Rory Stewart’s regular column for our sister title the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald was as varied as it was informative.
From Eden to the Middle East, Roman history to super fast broadband (or lack of), his diverse observations and comments were unlike anything politicians normally write.
Middleland is not just a compilation of these articles; it’s an insight into all forms of life at a time of major changes in what was Britain’s most rural constituency.
An ill-fated attempt to convince former prime minister David Cameron to take more of an interest in places like Eden where, Mr Stewart believes, true ‘big society’ (the social inclusion campaign the former Tory leader once promoted), was actually at work is among those included.
And many, like this, are followed by a short postscript in which the author offers an additional insight or update on what happened subsequently.
“I thought, well, Cumbria is the world’s greatest example and almost the only example in the country of actually the big society in action,” Rory told the Herald.
“I brought him to Crosby Ravensworth, where the community had done incredible things and had built their own affordable housing.
They’d saved the local pub and turned it into a cooperative etc. And then I thought, OK, this is it. He is going to fall in love with this place just as much as I did.”
An offer to talk more about the challenges facing rural Cumbria was declined by the PM in favour of ‘a quiet night.’
Rory Stewart discovered much of his constituency on foot. His walks and the people he met on them provided much inspiration and is, he maintains, the best way of getting to know an area and its people.
“I loved walking because the lovely thing about walking is that you encounter people accidentally. Whereas when you’re in a car, it’s very planned.”
The book is also an opportunity for him to reflect on his views, some of which have changed.
Green energy (he once campaigned for Eden to be completely free of wind turbines) is one subject where the passage of time have seen his views mellow.
The fact his articles found a home in the Herald continues to be something Rory Stewart remains grateful for.
“The Herald is wonderful – I mean, really wonderful. When we think about democracy, democracy works best when you have a good local newspaper because it’s only with a good local newspaper that you can actually hold people accountable because it’s only with a good local newspaper you can actually talk about what is and isn’t happening at a local level. “
He adds that the variety of news in the newspaper – good and bad – sets it apart from national newspapers.
“I mean, frequently national newspapers are pretty depressing, right? Whereas the Herald is actually able often to talk about positive things. I think our lives could do with much, much more sense of positivity and gratitude. And I think the Herald’s an engine for that.”
While he confesses to missing what he describes as ‘a more settled, Cumbria-based life’ his interest in the county continues.
He’s welcomed the news a mayor will be elected for Cumbria declining to confirm or deny he’d be interested in the post saying only “let’s see.”
Middleland, Dispatches from the Borders was published this week.
You can hear Rory Stewart talk to Nigel Thompson here:
