Environment Secretary invited to meet south Shropshire farmers with intent to host Q&A and 'resolve some fears'

The invitation was extended to Mr Reed on December 5 but the MP has not yet received a reply. Stuart has now tabled a written question in parliament, asking Mr Reed to respond to his invite. 

He said he wants to host a question and answer session with local farmers and agricultural business owners on government support.

A response to a previous written question tabled by a fellow MP and published on March 26 revealed that the senior cabinet minister, who is responsible for policies affecting farmers, had only visited four farms since taking office last July.

Stuart extended the invitation to the senior government minister, who has overall responsibility for environment, food and rural affairs, after more than eighty farmers contacted him about planned reductions in support for farmers.

In their letter to Stuart, the farmers blasted policies that were announced as part of the Autumn Budget in October 2024. They said these will "inflict permanent damage on the rural economy."  

This includes reducing the generosity of Inheritance Tax Relief (ITR) for the first time since it was introduced in 1984. 

Stuart has said that the policy will hurt family farms the most, as they are often asset-rich but cash-poor.

The change means that a 20 per cent charge will be levied on agricultural assets such as tools, vehicles, livestock, and fertilisers that are collectively worth more than £1m. 

In his letter to the Environment Secretary, Stuart said: “I intend to host a Q&A event where I will invite farmers from across my constituency and give them the opportunity to ask questions about issues affecting them. 

“I hope that you will join me and outline how the Government intends to help farmers in south Shropshire. My aim is to give farmers the chance to speak with you, to demonstrate cross-party collaboration on farming issues, and hopefully resolve some of the fears of my constituents."

Ahead of the Budget, Stuart had called on the government to rule out any changes to inheritance tax relief. He warned that doing so could lead to the closure of many family farms and threaten national food security.

A report published by the cross-party Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) Committee on Friday, May 16, has found that the changes were made without "adequate consultation, impact assessment or affordability assessment".

Concerns have also been raised about the government's decision to bring the end of the direct payments forward by one year. Stuart has claimed that the early closure of the Basic Payments Scheme risks undermining the confidence of farm businesses.

It is reported that many farms are already facing issues with their cash flows as a result of these changes. Stuart hopes that the Environment Secretary will accept his invitation to inform the government's approach to these concerns.

According to the Business Register published on March 8 last year, South Shropshire is home to 1,605 businesses in the agriculture sector. This represents 27.4 per cent of all businesses in the constituency.

Stuart Anderson MP said: “Our county has the highest number of farm holdings in England, with farming and agriculture forming nearly a quarter of all businesses in South Shropshire. 

“We are well-placed to understand the impact of government policies on family farms. In December, I invited the Environment Secretary to South Shropshire to speak with local farmers. 

“This would have given the community an opportunity to speak with him about issues affecting them. I am disappointed not to have yet received a reply. So, I have tabled a written question in parliament urging a response to my invite. I hope he will accept my invite and outline how the government intends to help our farmers."