Following the government’s announcement that it will introduce a new Family Farm Tax, a group of local farmers met Graham at his regular street surgery in Skirlaugh on Saturday.
In a good-natured demo, Graham and the farmers received support from across the community, including Skirlaugh institution the Lazy Bean Café, which provided hot drinks to the farmers while car horns sounded in support.
The farmers presented the campaigning MP with a list of demands, including:
- Reversal of the changes made to APR (Agricultural Property Relief) and BPR (Business Property Relief).
- Recognition that the government figures of only 27% of farms being affected is incorrect and based on historic, skewed data.
- Review of the acceleration of the phase out of farming support schemes until satisfactory replacement schemes are made available.
Graham has been at the forefront of opposition to the changes to APR, which would have an untold impact on small farms. The National Farmers Union suggests that almost no working farms have a value of under £1 million.
The new tax is expected to raise £230 million in 2026-27, approximately 0.023% of the government’s total tax take.
Over 700 people have already signed Graham’s petition against the tax, available at www.grahamstuart.com/FarmTax.
Graham is very concerned about the government’s data leading to the £1 million threshold, which will see inheritance tax imposed on small, family farms. He has asked the Chancellor to explain her figures.
In the Budget, the government announced plans to end the Basic Payment Scheme early, leaving recipients losing 76% of their subsidy. A farmer who was to receive £100,000 from the Basic Payment Scheme this financial year will now only get £8,000.
Graham said, “I’ve represented a rural constituency for almost twenty years, and our farmers are very close to my heart.
“I’ve never seen a government attack on farmers like this – not only their subsidies but to attempt to end the Family Farm is a blatant attack on our farming community.
“Sir Keir Starmer promised to protect the family farm, and that promise is now in tatters.
“Farmers expect better, and I’m looking forward to meeting many of them in Parliament on Tuesday to make as much noise as possible.”
