RBC passes motion to support farmers in fight against new tax changes
Last updated: 6/12/2024
Rushcliffe Borough Council has passed a motion to support local farmers in their fight against proposed new tax charges.
At a Full Council meeting on Thursday (December 5), the motion addressed the potential devastating changes to Inheritance Tax which the National Farmers Union (NFU) recently raised significant concerns on as “a hammer blow to farming families.”
Local representatives of the Union have been contacted to back their calls for changes and now the Council will write to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves to call upon her to reverse the proposed plans.
It will also write to local MP Robert Jenrick whose constituency covers part of the Borough to thank him for his opposition to the changes and call on Rushcliffe MP James Naish to join the support and lobby the Chancellor on the Council’s behalf to change the decision.
Leader of the Council Cllr Neil Clarke raised the motion and wished to record the Council’s thanks to the farmers of Rushcliffe for the intensive hard work they do on behalf of residents to put food on everyone’s tables.
He said: “The Borough is home to many farming families with so many rural communities and we recognise the important part farmers play, both in the local economy and in growing food to put on the tables of our residents.
“Farmers work long hours with very tight margins in their businesses due to the continuing significant rising costs of animal feed, energy costs and labour costs.
“The budget changes threaten to cripple many family farms which rely on passing down land to relatives to continue their vital work in feeding the Borough and country.
“Family farms are asset rich and cash poor, with no means to pay such punitive amounts of inheritance tax, leaving the only option to sell land, thus rendering the farm unviable. This will have a huge impact on our farming communities in Rushcliffe and should not go ahead.
“We have been in contact with the NFU locally to show our support and will continue to lobby our local MPs and representatives to fight this decision.”
A further motion brought by Cllr Ted Birch, subsequently amended by the ruling Conservative Group, was also passed at the meeting, that included supporting the sourcing of local farmers’ food and drink featuring at RBC events wherever possible.