Lincolnshire farmers will take part in ‘national day of unity’ to fight against tax

South Lincolnshire farmers will be thanking the British public for their support while also protesting against the controversial farm tax during an event next month.

The NFU along with other farming unions will be taking part in a ‘national day of unity’ on Saturday, January 25, by gathering in towns across the country.

In November, thousands of farmers, including Cowbit’s William Tyrrell and Zara Dorrington of Dunsby, took part in protests outside the Houses of Parliament to fight against changes to the to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) taxation.

The Government will be collecting a 20% tax rate on agricultural assets valued over £1million following the measure announced in the October budget - and says this is to fund public services such as the NHS.

But the NFU has disputed officials’ claims that around three quarters of farm businesses in England will be unaffected by the changes but is also arguing that few viable farms are worth under £1 million and that the Treasury is working off the wrong figures.

Farming groups are now hoping this latest protest will help drive home to MPs that this campaign will not stop until the tax plan is subjected to consultation and scrutiny.

NFU South Lincs county chair Simon Gadd, of Boston, said specific plans were being led by NFU farming leaders with details being finalised and firmed up in the weeks ahead.

He said: “We had the mass lobby in London and have launched our banner campaign all the while mass lobbying MPs over this and we have shown this issue is not going away and we will continue to fight it.

“The campaign continues as we call on all of our politicians from all parties to back the industry and stop this destructive tax on family food producing businesses, the economy and rural communities.”

Details of the individual events in each region of England, and across the other home nations, will be released in January.