Labour’s ‘struggle on farmers’ sparks protest over inheritance tax and meals | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Labour’s “war on farmers” has been slammed for jeopardising meals safety as opponents put together to protest in opposition to the Government’s inheritance tax raid.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh revealed that plans exist to cope with meals shortages if farmers go forward with their risk to strike over a household farm tax.

But when challenged by the Daily Express over fears of empty cabinets, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted “the vast majority” of farmers wouldn’t be impacted by tax adjustments.

Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp stated the rise in inheritance tax is a “war on farmers” that may “undermine our food security”.

Farmers are sometimes “struggling to make ends meet”, he stated.

The MP added: “So the fact that Labour has declared war on farmers is obviously bad for farmers, but it’s actually bad for all of us, because it’ll undermine our food security.”

About 20,000 farmers will descend on London on Tuesday to protest in opposition to plans to impose a 20% inheritance tax on farms value £1million or extra.

They have warned that the coverage will destroy household farms throughout the nation and will see them damaged up.

Welsh marketing campaign group Enough is Enough has referred to as for a nationwide strike amongst British farmers to cease producing meals till the choice to impose inheritance tax on farms is reversed.

The Daily Express has launched the Save Britain’s Family Farms campaign and has referred to as for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to U-turn.

National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw stated: “I think the industry is feeling betrayed, feeling angry.

He told Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “We have a Government saying food security is a critical part of national security, yet they’ve ripped the rug out from that very industry which is going to invest in food security for the future.”

But he stated he didn’t “for one moment condone” withholding meals from supermarkets in protest.

“That is not an NFU tactic, we do not support emptying supermarket shelves,” he said.

“But I do completely understand the strength of feeling that there is amongst farmers. They feel helpless today, and they’re trying to think of what can they do to try and demonstrate what this means to them.

“So look, I understand their strength of feeling, but we are not supporting that action.”

As he travelled to Rio for the G20 Summit, Sir Keir advised reporters that he understands farmers’ frustrations over tax adjustments.

Asked if farmers could be bodily eliminated in the event that they occupied streets like Just Stop Oil protesters, the Prime Minister stated: “They are entitled to express their views. I do understand their concerns.

“It’s important I reiterate the support that is going in, it is quite considerable.

“As to how the protest takes shape and what the response is, that will be a matter for them and the police for how they respond to it.”

He stated that “for a typical case, which is parents with a farm they want to pass on to one of their children, by the time you’ve taken into account not only the exemption for the farm property itself, but also the exemption for spouse to spouse, then parent to child, it’s £3million before any inheritance tax will be payable”.

He added: “That’s why I am absolutely confident the vast majority of farms and farmers will not be affected by this.

“It’s important for us to keep communicating how that works. Over the £3million, it’s then 20% rather than the usual rate and it’s payable over 10 years.

“The threshold for a typical case is £3million.”

Asked about contingency plans for meals safety if farmers strike, Ms Haigh stated: “The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs will be setting out plans for the winter and … setting out contingency plans and ensuring that food security is treated as the priority it deserves to be.”

Tory celebration chairman Nigel Huddleston stated the Transport Secretary dismissed the issues of farmers by failing to know the influence the household farms tax could have on rural communities and worth rises.

He stated: “As Keir Starmer jets off to Brazil this week on his latest international trip, he seems oblivious to the challenges facing Britain’s farming community, small businesses, charities and care sector that have been caused by Labour’s disastrous, tax-raising Budget.”

Treasury information present that about three quarters of farmers can pay nothing in inheritance tax because of the controversial adjustments introduced within the Budget final month.

But farmers have challenged the figures, pointing as a substitute to information from the Defra which counsel 66% of farm companies are value greater than the £1million threshold at which inheritance tax will now have to be paid.

Former surroundings secretary Steve Barclay stated: “Labour’s decision to press ahead with a family farm tax will cause serious damage to Britain’s agriculture sector.

“It will force farmers out of business, in turn increasing costs for consumers in the shops, and ultimately put our food security at risk in an increasingly uncertain world.”