Helen Morgan meets farmers in Parliament and demands axe to Family Farm Tax

Helen Morgan MP met a group of North Shropshire farmers in Parliament as Westminster was filled with protesters venting their anger at the Government’s Family Farm Tax.

The North Shropshire MP is campaigning to axe the tax and has launched a local petition which has already been signed by 500 people.

Hundreds of farms in North Shropshire alone are expected to be impacted by the tax changes which will increase the amount farmers pay when handing their businesses onto the next generation.

Helen met around 15 farmers from North Shropshire who had travelled down to join the rally in London and heard how they are concerned for the future of their farms after Labour’s Budget changes. Many farms in Shropshire only make a small annual profit which could be wiped out by large tax bills introduced by Labour.

Helen also discussed the broader challenges facing farmers after the latest statistics revealed that in 2023/24, average Farm Business Income decreased for all farm types except for specialist pig farms.

Meanwhile the Government has decided to accelerate the phase-out of direct payments to farmers under the basic payment scheme, meaning all recipients will see the base amount of their payments cut by 76% next year. Helen Morgan has called for the government to urgently review this in order to give farmers a fighting chance of sustainably and profitably feeding the nation and protecting our natural environment.

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.”