At the Herefordshire Council meeting on 7th March, Conservatives withdrew a motion which would have allowed full council to show cross-party support for all Herefordshire farmers
The original motion urged government consultation with farmers on inheritance tax changes, and a last minute amendment in isolation from Liberal Democrats led to this being pulled.
Green Councillor Rebecca Tully said: “The Greens are deeply disappointed not to be able to support our local farmers through this process. Food and our farmers should not be a political football, especially here in Herefordshire”
Greens are still calling for farming support across the board.
Green Councillor Stef Simmons highlights the burden on older and unwell farmers, who must now live for seven years after passing on their family farm to avoid inheritance tax. Otherwise, their farms may be forced into sale.
The Greens also ask for measures to provide more security for the farming community:
· Fair pay for the food they produce
· Financial support for nature-friendly farming which will also boost profitability.
· Supporting future farmers – Encourage those entering farming amid an ageing workforce.
Local tenant farmer Ben Andrews emphasizes that these reforms should have been implemented a decade ago when tenant farms were sold off under Conservative leadership. He also raises concerns over national insurance changes, which will increase costs for seasonal workers.
Stef Simmons adds, “Farmers have told me of their distress over Labour’s inheritance tax plans. They’ve told me of their worries about not being able to pass their family farm onto their children, their struggle with tight profit margins, and their frustration at the lack of support for nature-friendly farming, especially in regard to the Wye. Consulting farmers on policies that impact their livelihoods is a vital first step as raised by Ellie Chowns MP in Parliament.”
Local farmer Ben Andrews says “I’ve been running a tenant farm just outside Leominster for the last 20 years. I know many of my friends will be affected by the inheritance tax changes. But for me, the National Insurance changes will also have a huge impact on how much it costs to employ seasonal workers. Having both these changes at the same time is a real blow to our community.
Jenny Bartlett notes: “The Greens are asking for sensible measures that we needed 10 years ago, when tenant farms were broken up and sold off by the Conservative council.”