'Hard-won improvement' or 'last-minute concession': Shropshire and Mid Wales MPs welcome Government's farm tax U-turn
Shropshire MPs from across the political divide have welcomed the Government's climbdown on its controversial farm inheritance tax reforms.
One MP called for the Government to go further and scrap its farm inheritance tax completely.
The comments, from North Shropshire's Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, come after the Government announced it would be watering down its controversial farm inheritance tax (IHT) plans.
The proposals have been the subject of major criticism and protests from farmers since they were revealed.
Under the changes announced on Tuesday the farm tax inheritance threshold will increase from £1 million to £2.5 million.
Mrs Morgan welcomed the move - but urged the Government to go further.
She said: "This change is a hard-won improvement on the Government’s original family farm tax which should never have been threatened in the first place.
"I’ve been proud to stand alongside the farmers who have campaigned so tirelessly to achieve this – now the Government must go further and scrap this unfair tax in full.
"Shropshire’s economy and the nation’s food security depends on hardworking family farmers, many of whom are already struggling to make a living.
"The Government should be backing British farmers, not pushing them out of business with short-sighted tax raids.”
Meanwhile Labour MP for Shrewsbury Julia Buckley and party colleague Steve Witherden, who represents Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, both welcomed the changes.
Both have lobbied the Government to address the concerns of farmers in their constituencies.
Mrs Buckley said: "A huge thank you to the 347 farmers in my constituency who have taken the time to engage with me, shown hospitality by inviting me to visit their farms and work together to persuade the Government to listen to rural communities like ours.’’
"After a year and half of lobbying and engagement on this issue, we can now look forward to brighter times ahead for agriculture with Minette Batter’s review into farming profitability and these changes to IHT.
"Happy Christmas to our farming community to whom we owe so much."
Mr Witherden said: "This news will come as a huge relief to my farming constituents across Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, many of whom will no longer face the prospect of having to sell the family farm.
“I opposed these changes from the outset and back in January, publicly called on the Government to raise the threshold.
“Thanks to tireless campaigning from farmers and pressure from backbench Labour MPs, that is exactly what will now happen. This is a major win for rural communities up and down the country.”
Meanwhile, South Shropshire Conservative MP Stuart Anderson, another vocal campaigner on the issue, said he was pleased the Government had changed the policy - but said it was too late for some farms.
He said: "After 14 months of constant campaigning, I am glad that we have secured the Government's climbdown on its family farm and business tax.
"However, these changes come far too late for too many family farms in South Shropshire and beyond which have already closed for good.
"The Government has consistently missed opportunities to make these overdue concessions to its planned changes.
"This last-minute concession is a major admission of guilt from an incompetent Government that has consistently wreaked havoc on rural and farming communities.
"We will never forget the huge distress that this Government has needlessly inflicted on rural communities like ours. The Government must now axe the tax altogether."
