'The Government must axe the family farm tax!' North Shropshire MP backs county's protesting farmers
A Shropshire MP has said the Government "must axe the family farm tax" after meeting with farmers in Parliament.
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North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan met a group of farmers from her constituency during protests in London on Tuesday. Mrs Morgan said Westminster was "filled" with protesters "venting their anger" at the Government’s Family Farm Tax.
The Liberal Democrat is campaigning to axe the tax, and has launched a local petition that she said has already been signed by more than 500 people.
Mrs Morgan added that hundreds of farms in North Shropshire alone are expected to be impacted by the tax changes that will impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million.
The MP met with around 15 farmers from North Shropshire who had travelled down to join the rally. She heard their concerns for the future of their farms after Labour’s Budget changes.
Mrs Morgan said "many farms in Shropshire only make a small annual profit which could be wiped out by large tax bills introduced by Labour".
The MP also discussed broader challenges facing farmers after reporting that latest statistics revealed that in 2023/24, average Farm Business Income decreased for all farm types except for specialist pig farms.
Helen Morgan, Liberal Democrat MP for North Shropshire, said: "The Labour Government must axe the family farm tax that will be devastating for so many farms across North Shropshire.
"It was great to see North Shropshire so well represented in Westminster today - these hardworking farmers deserve to be listened to but unfortunately successive governments have failed to support them.
"British farmers were taken for granted by the Conservatives for years - and now they’re being treated with contempt by Labour.
"Our farmers are already battling sky-high energy bills, botched trade deals that undercut our markets, a lack of flood funding and a disastrous transition from the Basic Farm Payment. This decision by Labour will only make things much worse.
"I am urging the Government to change course and protect the future of family farming."
