Oxfordshire MP urges Ministers to meet farmers about inheritance tax
Calum Miller says, “the government needs to think again, not be stubborn”
A local MP is encouraging Government Ministers to meet farmers and speak to them about their concerns of the inheritance tax.
From April next year, farms will pay inheritance tax on assets over 1 million pounds after changes to Agricultural Property Relief.
Calum Miller, MP for Bicester and Woodstock said is calling on the Government to reverse the inheritance tax.
“The family farm tax is ill considered. I genuinely believe it was driven by the Treasury without consultation, the Department of Environment and Food and Rural Affairs.
“The government needs to think again, not be stubborn about this, but recognise the real damage that it will do to many farmers up and down the country and the fact that without them we will not be in a position to have kind of food security that we need to feed our nation in the future”, he said.
Mr Miller also says he encourages Labour Ministers to “come out and spend time with farmers, listen to what it means for them to be at the sharp end.”
He said: “One of the things that has made farmers in my constituency so angry is the sense that they met with labour politicians in opposition who made a series of promises to them about how they would relate to the farming community.
“That respect and that dialogue has not been sustained now that Labour is in government.”
He added: “I am concerned for the farming community, and I've had many conversations with local farmers who've expressed their concerns with me.
So, I with the Liberal Democrats, will continue to press the government to take seriously those concerns and make sure that it's providing the kind of timely support that our farmers need.”
A Defra spokesperson said:
“The Government’s commitment to farmers remains steadfast. That’s why £5 billion is being invested into farming over two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, and we are going further with reforms to boost profits for farmers by backing British produce and reforming planning rules on farms to support food production.
“Our Agricultural Property Relief reforms mean three quarters of estates will continue to pay no tax at all, while the remaining quarter will pay half what most people would pay, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach which helps fix the public services we all rely on.”