EXCLUSIVE: Growers say they may be forced to sell off parts of their farms to cover for extra costs.
Farmers gathered to meet with MPs in Devon this morning (Image: Humphrey Neymar)
Labour has sparked fury after snubbing a crucial summit as farmers face the prospect of having to pay millions because of Rachel Reeves’ inheritance tax. Growers gathered at Darts Farm, near the seaside town of Topsham in Devon, with Conservative shadow farms minister, Robbie Moore MP and the area’s Tory representative in the House of Commons, former Royal Marine David Reed, who organised the event. Also in attendance was the NFU’s Devon Chairman, and sheep and arable farmer, David Chugg. Mr Reed told the Express that he had written to invite Labour farming minister Daniel Zeichner, but had been “completely chinned off”.
Mr Moore claimed that Steve Reed, Sir Keir Starmer’s Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, attended the Royal Cornwall Show yesterday, but “refused to do any big speeches [or] any huge engagements with people”. Ministers and the farming secretary, he also claimed, then “didn’t bother” turning up to the Devon County Show. He added: “The farming minister was invited to come along today to listen to the concerns that were raised. But it’s just frustrating that, despite the Government making huge decisions that are negatively impacting many of our family businesses, our farming businesses, our rural economy, it doesn’t seem that they’re willing to justify the decisions that they are making, and that is hugely, hugely irritating for many of those that have turned up today.”
David Reed says Labour farming minister Daniel Zeichner was invited to the gathering (Image: Getty)
Growers gathered to talk about the problems they face (Image: Humphrey Neymar)
David Reed attended the Devon show, and Mr Moore went to the Royal Cornwall Show.
Mr Reed, who has contacted the Government using written and oral questions and letters, claimed: “I’ve tried to be as polite as possible to put the case forwards, and we’ve been ignored repeatedly since December.
“I got up at the last oral questions, and I was told, effectively: ‘Stop asking so many questions, and we’ll be able to do more visits.’
“Zero accountability. For me, as a new politician, if you say you are going to do something, then, be accountable, go and speak to people about it, go and tell them how it is going to affect their lives.”
During today’s meet, Mr Moore described how he had encountered a 78-year-old farmer with cancer, who told him that, if he were to die before April 6 next year, he would not have to pay a penny more.
But, if he were to pass away after the date when those with more than £1million in assets will be subject to the new levy, he would have to hand over more than £1million.
He also suggested there was currently too much focus on environment at Steve Reed’s ministry, and food needs to be “at the heart” of policy at “every single Government department”.
The shadow minister also called for “rural investment zones on a much larger scale”.
He added: “This is a cliff-edge policy. This is a tragedy tax that the Government are bringing in. The Government are unwilling to even listen appropriately to this level of concern.”
“It feels like nobody understands or cares about what we do,” said Michael Dart, the current custodian of Darts Farm, which sells food directly from its own land, including cattle and hundreds of other local growers.
It was founded in 1971 by his father, Ronald, and is today paying hundreds of thousands more in taxes after the Chancellor increased national insurance contributions made by employers and the national living wage.
The Government is acting “like the Mafia”, the businessman told the Express.
He also highlighted that, if farmers were forced to sell off part of their land in order to pay the extra inheritance tax, they would also have to pay capital gains tax on top.
Jeremy Yabsley, 69, a sheep farmer and forestry contractor, said his son would have to pay half a million pounds in tax in the event of his death.
The Conservative county councillor called the policy “blatantly destructive”.
Mark Weekes, 60, another sheep farmer, said: “I will probably be the last of my family to farm that farm in its present state.”
He added that Ms Reeves’ stance was “absolutely deluded”.
Mr Chubb said: “They still don’t seem to be listening but we’ll still keep the pressure on.”
The NFU regional chief added that he thinks up to 70% of farms in Devon alone could be affected by the tax, and that the Government had got their estimates wrong.
Other subjects raised at the event included the sustainable farming initiative (SFI), a scheme that financially rewards farmers for sustainable farming practices.
It was closed to new applications on March 11, but this was later tweaked so that those that started filling out the paperwork after January 11 could resubmit.
Farmers were gathered together by their local MP (Image: Humphrey Neymar)
One farmer also complained that she had lost more than £1,000 when selling cattle.
She added: “How many farms has he [Mr Zeichner] been on since he became a minister? Four? Has he got any wellies?”
Another grower reported that he had been in a dispute with officials over the effectiveness of dredging a river, as the issue of halal slaughter was also raised.
Mr Moore was unwilling to provide his stance, instead saying: “I would be very interested to hear what primary producers have to say on this issue.”
“It’s a debate that needs to happen,” he added.
A Defra spokesperson said: “The Secretary of State and Farming Minister have championed British farming from the moment they took office, speaking to thousands of farmers and holding regular meetings.
“This Government is investing £5billion into farming, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history and have appointed former NFU president Baroness Minette Batters to recommend new reforms to boost farmers profits.”
Mr Reed accused his Conservative opposite number, Victoria Atkins, of trying to “weaponise” farmer deaths, as he faced calls to resign over inheritance tax changes last month.
He previously said: “The problem facing farming is that it became unprofitable because of the actions of the previous Government. They undercut farm businesses in trade deals, undercutting farmers on welfare and environmental standards, they raised barriers to exports to the European markets, causing exports to plunge by 20% since 2018, and that led to record numbers of bankruptcies.
“This Government has a plan for change and it involves turning farming into a profitable set of businesses, including backing British businesses by public sector food procurement, and ruling out trade deals that undercut farmers in the way that that government was happy to do.”
