A Green Party councillor has put forward a motion for next week’s Full Council meeting to gain full backing for Isle of Wight farmers.
Councillor Claire Critchison, for Chale, Niton and Shorwell, is gaining support from councillors across the Island who are concerned about the pressures on our countryside, particularly in the light of the changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) announced by the Labour Government in their Autumn Budget.
The motion expresses:
“These changes have the potential to introduce a ‘Family Farm Tax,’ which severely undermines the viability of our Island’s farming sector and threatens the nation’s food security”.
It instructs the Council leader, Phil Jordan, to call for the 2 Island MPs to advocate for a pause and further consultation on the changes, that the government should address their full impact, and that the council cabinet should meet with members of the National Farmers Union to discuss how they can support local farmers and rural businesses across the Isle of Wight.
Cllr Critchison says:
“Farmers play such an important role in nature restoration and flood alleviation and are at the heart of our island as food producers, employers and custodians of the land. But they are under immense pressure as the costs of production have risen whilst farm gate prices have stayed the same or gone down.
“We need to see a sustainable, thriving future for family farming on the Isle of Wight – and I hope that all councillors can get behind this motion next week.”
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Robyn Munt, NFU County Chairman, adds:
“On behalf of members and the agricultural community the NFU continues to make the devastating impact to family farms and as a consequence every business in the rural sector of the budget announcements known to Government and would welcome the support of IOW Council.
“Failure by the Govt to revisit the proposed tax changes & to consult with the farming industry to find a workable solution is already causing immense stress & uncertainty, it will discourage investment and growth & it will be detrimental to the production of food & management of our beautiful Island landscape.”
Did no one see how the Farmers were treated in the
Netherlands!
The plan is to do away with Farms, the inheritance tax
is part of doing that.
This Government won’t ‘U’ turn, it is part of the
World Economic Forums plan
You will own nothing and be happy
I have lived ost of my life in agricultural areas and these days it is rare to find farmers and farms which solely focus on farming. Many have holiday businesses, often holiday let properties as part of their farm. It cannot be right that one family whose business isholiday lettings pays Inheritance Tax as normal and another family with a similar business but also a farm can evade IHT. I agree that farmers make an important contribution to the ecomomy and to our national life but do doctors, teachers, policemen, shopkeepers etc not also make a contribution. I simply do not understand the justification for exempting one particular group of people. It is not fair or reasonable.