Dumfries and Galloway Farmers protest over property relief plans

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Farmers from the region were among the mass rally in London protesting against planned changes to agricultural property relief.

Upwards of 10,000 farmers and supporters gathered in Westminster to warn of the devastating consequences the Labour government’s plan could have on the farming industry and the rural economy more generally.

Dumfries and Galloway region’s MPs David Mundell and John Cooper also threw their support behind the rally and its cause – and met up with meet up with Annandale farmer Stewart Wyllie, chairman for NFU Scotland’s Dumfries and Galloway region.

Until now, agricultural property relief has enabled small family farms, including land used for crops or rearing animals, as well as farm buildings, cottages and houses, to be handed down through the generations, but the new UK Labour government has now announced plans to impose a cap on this relief, impacting potentially tens of thousands of farms.

Speaking after attending the protest rally, Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell said: “The sheer number of people who attended this protest, coming from all corners of the UK, underlines just how serious this matter is. It’s clear that the Labour government just doesn’t understand what the consequences of this could be for areas like Dumfries and Galloway and rural areas across the
country.

“The government claims that just a handful of farms would be affected by their plan to slash agricultural property relief but, as the National Farmers Union has pointed out, figures from their own Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show the changes could have an impact on fully two thirds of farms.

“Such a widespread cash-grab on family-run farms would not only endanger their existence over the long-term but obviously have a knock-on effect on all the other jobs and services linked to them in rural and more remote areas.

“This is nothing less than an attack on rural communities by the Labour government and one I will do everything I can to help stop.”

Scottish Conservative shadow rural affairs secretary, Tim Eagle, also joined the protest at Westminster and said: “Labour’s Family Farm Tax threatens to cripple family farms across the country. These changes to agricultural and business property relief will make it increasingly hard for farms to be passed onto future generations, and threatens future food production.

“Passing on the family farm is not just a matter of inheritance, it ensures the survival of food security, local jobs and protects the rural way of life.

“Farmers deserve better than to be treated as scapegoats by a UK Labour Government seeking to use them as a source of revenue.”

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