Caroline Voaden, MP for South Devon, has met with her constituents to discuss issues impacting rural communities, as thousands of farmers came to Westminster to air their concerns about the damage the Budget has done to family farmers.
Seven farmers from across South Devon raised their concerns about the impact of the family farm tax with Caroline Voaden. The tax will be a cause of concern for the 797 farms in South Devon.
Caroline Voaden discussed the impact these taxes would have on communities in South Devon and is urging the government to axe the family farm tax.
The challenges farming communities face can be seen across the board, with latest statistics revealing that in 2023/24, average Farm Business Income was lower for all farm types except for specialist pig farms.
The government has also decided to accelerate the phase out of direct payments to farmers under the basic payment scheme – all recipients will see the base amount of their payments cut by 76% next year.
Caroline Voaden has called for the government to urgently review this. By failing to do so, we are not giving farmers a fighting chance of sustainably and profitably feeding the nation and protecting our natural environment.
The Liberal Democrats are also calling for an additional £1 billion a year in support for farmers, and a scrap to the bus fare cap increase.
Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, Caroline Voaden said: “All the farmers I’ve spoken to across South Devon are seriously concerned about the impact of the new Family Farm Tax.
“They recognise not only the risk it poses to our food security but the drastic changes it could make to farming life as we know it.
“After spending fourteen years being let down by successive Conservative governments, farmers now face a Labour government that doesn’t understand them.
“The Liberal Democrats are standing up for rural communities and calling for an axe to the family farm tax that would be disastrous for farmers across South Devon. I am urging the Government to change course.”
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