Farmers plough on in campaign against Family Farm Tax

Unrest builds as government continue to ignore farmers’ pleas

The introduction of Inheritance Tax (IHT) on family farms was dubbed a vindictive move
from a government with a clear agenda by politicians who met with dozens of local farmers
on Saturday night, 22nd February.

Co-ordinated by the campaign group ‘Farmers To Action’ as part an industry wide battle to halt
IHT on agricultural properties, farmers were invited to put questions to a panel of speakers
including Robbie Moore MP (Shadow Defra Minister), Karen Bradley MP (Staffordshire
Moorlands) and Farmers To Action campaigner Alan Hughes at Warslow Village Hall.

Farmers were advised by the Conservative politicians to use every opportunity and platform at
their disposal to raise awareness of the consequences the IHT policy will have.
Karen Bradley said: “This is about what we can do collectively to get them to change their
minds. There are members of parliament who are backing these changes who need to know
they won’t be MPs at the next election if they don’t support their electorate.”
Farmers To Action (FTA) campaigner Alan Hughes, a fourth generation farmer from Shropshire
said: “The IHT changes will devastate family farms and make it impossible to hand them down.”
Local FTA Co-ordinator Ken Fallows who chaired the debate added: “Our entire way of life is
under threat, IHT is unfair for all businesses but especially farmers. We can’t pass these costs
down to our customers as our prices are dictated to us.”

Robbie Moore acknowledged Labour’s refusal to admit the magnitude of the proposed changes.
He said: “The wider economic impact of this will be huge and the government are nowhere near
understanding these implications. Through every mechanism possible this message has to be
brought home to them.”

It is being widely reported by agricultural merchants, machinery dealers and others across the
sector that the impact of the proposed IHT is already being felt, with a significant decline in new
orders being placed.

The Shadow Defra Minister also warned that the policy was not likely to cause a reduction in
land value as some were anticipating.
“There is so much capital sitting out there ready to buy land up for carbon offsetting and other
projects, I think yes IHT will increase the availability of land because farmers will be forced to
sell but it will not reduce its value. This is a vindictive approach that is ideologically driven to
free up land for government agendas and that’s why they are unwilling to make any changes,” he
said.

Ken Fallows alluded to the implications the policy was having on mental health within the
industry: “We’ve got elderly and ill farmers who are now hoping to die before the new ruling
comes in next April or to try and survive to the next parliament in four years time. This is awful.
How can we get a pause on this policy for those who don’t have time to prepare?”
Robbie Moore agreed: “It is catastrophic but the government are not listening.”
One farmer, attending the meeting, commented: “It’s time for everyone to stand up and say we
have had enough. Things have to change while we have still got people in this country who are
willing to do the work it takes to produce food for the public. I don’t think the government
realises the unrest that is brewing.”

As the meeting drew to a close Karen Bradley encouraged farmers: “You must do everything you
can to raise awareness and we will do everything we can, but do not give up hope.”
Robbie Moore agreed: “Widen the conversation – put as much pressure as possible on MPs and
talk to other businesses who will also be impacted. We need to make sure the Treasury and the
Prime Minister realise the collective impact of this budget.”
The FTA is a grass roots organisation run by farmers for farmers. It operates as a network of
farmers working together to create positive change. Visit farmerstoaction.com for more
information about the group.