Conservative politicians have slammed the government's farm inheritance tax as 'vindictive' during a recent event attended by dozens of concerned farmers.
Farmers were invited to put questions to a panel of speakers on Saturday (22 February) at Warslow Village Hall, in Derbyshire, co-ordinated by the group Farmers To Action.
Robbie Moore, Shadow Defra Minister, Karen Bradley, MP for Staffordshire Moorlands, and Farmers To Action campaigner Alan Hughes sat on the panel.
Farmers were advised by the Conservative politicians to use every platform at their disposal to raise awareness of the consequences the IHT policy would have.
Speaking to dozens of attendees, 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 campaigner Alan Hughes, a fourth generation Shropshire farmer, said the IHT changes would devastate family farms and make it impossible to hand them down.
Ken Fallows, a local FTA co-ordinator 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, the Shadow Defra Minister, acknowledged the Labour government'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.”
Mr Moore also said 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," he noted.
"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."
Ken Fallows alluded to the implications the policy was having on mental health within the farming industry.
He said: “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, adding that it was "catastrophic, but the government are not listening.”
One farmer who attended the meeting said it was 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," he said.
"I don’t think the government realises the unrest that is brewing.”
As the meeting drew to a close, Ms Bradley urged farmers to not give up hope: “You must do everything you can to raise awareness and we will do everything we can.”
Mr 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.”
