Norfolk racecourse want to show local 'visible frustration' to planned inheritance tax changes
Farmers are invited to bring their tractors to the North Norfolk racecourse, today, where they can enjoy a free day of events
The man in charge of a racecourse in Norfolk is telling us he’s wants to visibly show the scale of local frustration against planned changes to inheritance tax, today, through tractors.
Farmers, and those working agriculture, are being invited to bring their machinery along to the grounds before 11.30am, where they can enjoy a full day of events for free.
"I would like the entire centre of the racecourse to be filled with line upon line of tractors"
David Hunter is Fakenham Racecourse's chief executive:
"This is not a protest. This is an exciting and fun day of high-quality horse racing that will have two races shown live on TV.
"I would like the entire centre of the racecourse to be filled with line upon line of tractors to illustrate the sense of frustration the rural community and businesses have about this devastating farm inheritance tax that Keir Starmer’s Government is determined to implement.
"Norfolk is a very agriculturally dependent area of the country- and the local economy is heavily driven by that and tourism. So to have these tax implications that could reduce that viability is massive.
He says there could be a series of unintended consequences that comes from this decision, as well:
"You will probably find that pension funds and the like will be snapping up bits of land across the county. It's something that won't make us efficient when it comes to providing food for the nation. It's something that we need to do, and our land should be as productive as possible, to reduce the number of food imports we have in this country".
For those bringing tractors to the racecourse:
The first race today is at 12.30 and the last race is at 15.55.
Gates will open at 10am and all tractors MUST be on site by 11.30am and enter the racecourse via the town entrance (NR21 7NY), not Pudding Norton.
What's the Government said on this?
In a joint statement issued, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said:
"Farmers are the backbone of Britain, and we recognise the strength of feeling expressed by farming and rural communities in recent weeks. We are steadfast in our commitment to Britain’s farming industry because food security is national security.
It's why we are investing £5 billion into farming over the next two years – the largest amount ever directed towards sustainable food production, rural economic growth and nature’s recovery in our country’s history.
But with public services crumbling and a £22 billion fiscal hole that this Government inherited, we have taken difficult decisions.
The reforms to Agricultural Property Relief ensure that wealthier estates and the most valuable farms pay their fair share to invest in our schools and health services that farmers and families in rural communities rely on".