Priti Patel, Member of Parliament for Witham, has warned that the wide range of polices from the Labour government including changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) alongside the additional employment costs and tax burdens that are being placed upon local farmers, will have disastrous consequences for farmers, supply chains, rural businesses, and the wider agricultural sector.
The Labour government’s reforms to Agricultural Property Relief (APR), intended to alter tax relief on agricultural land and property, has sparked widespread concern among farmers who fear the changes will increase costs, discourage investment, and threaten family-run farms that have been passed down for generations.
Meeting with Fergus Howie at Wicks Manor, a long-established family-run business, Priti listened to the extensive issues farmers are facing having to navigate rising costs, supply chain disruptions, the long-term economic impacts of new burdens imposed by the employer National Insurance Contributions rises and new red tape imposed by the Government. Labour’s additional tax burden she heard will add to the pressure, placing local food production and rural employment at risk. Independent analysis suggests that up to 100,000 family farms across England could be affected, a stark contrast to the Treasury’s claim that fewer than 500 farms would be impacted.
Following her visit, Priti said:
“Wicks Manor is an outstanding family business, and I pay tribute to Fergus Howie and his family for their dedication to farming and supplying the UK and beyond with high quality, internationally recognised pork products. They are producing and selling some of the finest produce we have, and it is vital that they are supported to invest and grow.
“As this Labour government continues to assault our rural communities with their ideological and direct attack on the backbone of our rural economy, the UK will be subject to higher food prices and weakened domestic food security, while they push generations of farming families out of business. This is a clear political choice from Labour, and the consequences will be felt across Witham and the UK.
"Our farmers work incredibly hard to feed our country and care for our environment. Instead of supporting them, Labour is introducing the family farms tax, tax on fertiliser, they are phasing out Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) support, creating uncertainty around the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), and making it harder for farmers to farm and provide food security.
“UK food self-sufficiency has now fallen to around 60%, down from 78% in the mid-1980s, making the country increasingly dependent on imports at a time of global instability. As a long-standing supporter of British farmers and rural businesses, I will continue working with local farmers against the corrosive policies of the Labour government.”
