West Lindsey district councillors say Labour and Conservatives share the blame for the plight of Lincolnshire’s farmers
Both major political parts have been blamed for causing existential problems facing farmers.
The current government has been criticised for capping inheritance tax relief for farms — leading to fears of an added financial burden for the sector.
West Lindsey councillors claimed Labour “doesn’t care about the countryside” during a debate on Monday (January 27).
However, they also accused the previous Conservative administration of neglecting the agricultural industry for years.
A motion proposed by Councillor John Barrett (Con) claimed that the policy change will leave more than 70,000 family farms each facing an average inheritance tax bill of £240,000.
It warns that many will be forced to sell their land to corporations or cease farming completely in order to afford it.
The motion passed unanimously, and the council leader will now write to the Chancellor to express his concern.
Councillor Tom Smith (Con) said during the debate: “If farms go under, we will lose our way of life in this county.
“Labour doesn’t get and doesn’t care about the countryside.
“We are already in a dangerous situation with our food security, only growing 55 per cent of what we eat, and that will shrink.”
Councillor Lesley Rollings (Lib Dem) agreed: “The government doesn’t understand rural issues”.
She added: “Farmers have also been let down badly by the Conservative government. Nothing has replaced the EU subsidies, and they’ve taken a real hit on a number of fronts.
“There was poor support for farmers from the last government, which this government is continuing.”
Councillor Adam Dugoid (Con), who runs a farm, said it has been an under-resourced “Cinderella industry” for a long time.
“One good thing about this situation is it might finally focus a debate on the agriculture industry and how we develop it after Brexit,” he told the meeting.
“The last government didn’t do much, and neither has the current one.
“It’s about time the topic got the focus it deserves.”
A government has previously said: “This government will invest £5bn into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history.
“Our reform to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will mean estates will pay a reduced effective inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than standard 40%, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free.
“This is a fair and balanced approach, which fixes the public services we all rely on, affecting around 500 estates a year.”
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