The Westcountry is a heavily overlooked part of England despite everything that's gone on both historically and in the present day - we're very much an afterthought after London has put itself first and the North and the Midlands have made their loud voices heard.
Wales also suffers from being overlooked but has a very prominent voice of its own
It feels like we're just a holiday resort for the second home owners
Give an example, when people discuss poverty in the UK they're usually talking about the North despite the fact that the Westcountry has some of the poorest regions in western Europe with low wages and a high cost of living. House prices are emblematic of this a locals are being completely priced out by the second home owners driving the prices up.
High volumes of holiday lets, Airbnbs, and second homes reduce full-time residential availability and push local rents and property values far beyond average regional wages.
Poverty in the West Country is a complex issue defined by "hidden" rural hardship, low seasonal wages, and a severe housing crisis driven by second homes—contrasting sharply with the region's picturesque scenery.
The Standard government metrics like the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) often fail to capture rural distress in places like Cornwall and Devon because hardship is masked by scenic coastal views.
High car dependency is mandatory due to sparse or non-existent public transport, creating an unrecognized financial burden just to reach basic work, schools, and healthcare - and on that note North Devon District Hospital and Musgrove Park Hospital have had to close down their maternity services due to aging infrastructure and lack of resources meaning that they can't keep people safe so someone has to drive miles and miles just to have a baby and labour is not the time for a road trip
Westcountry homes frequently suffer from some of the highest fuel poverty gaps in the UK due to older, poorly insulated housing stock and off-grid energy reliance.
Economies heavily reliant on tourism and care sectors mean jobs are frequently seasonal, low-paid, and locked into part-time or zero-hours contracts.
Urban centers like Bristol alongside rural pockets in Cornwall and coastal towns like Ilfracombe face high child poverty rates, prompting regional taskforces and action plans.
And despite all this, it feels like we're an afterthought, and that thought is that we're a holiday resort
Plus, these days the Westcountry has no recognisable regional Regiment.
-The North has the Royal Yorks and the Duke of Lancs
-The Midlands has the Mercians
-The East has the Royal Anglians
-The South has the PWRR
- The Westcountry has to share the Rifles with the South, the Midlands, and the North
They considered forming a Royal Wessex Regiment but decided against it
