Andrew joined furious farmers at the protest outside Westminster to stand against Labour’s controversial Family Farm Tax. The proposed changes mean that Fylde farmers will be forced to sell off their land, to pay an inheritance tax - which they just don’t have the cash to pay.
Andrew commented,
"The only people that are going to benefit from this are big businesses and housing developers who could snap up the land and undermine generations of families who have farmed and looked after our countryside. Labour just don’t understand how farming works!’
Farmers from Fylde and across the UK marched on Downing Street to protest against Labour’s tax hike will devastate their businesses, drive up food prices, and worsen the cost-of-living crisis. The policy cuts Agricultural Property Relief from 100% to 50% putting over 100,000 farms at risk, according to Treasury estimates.
Andrew Snowden MP pulled no punches, adding:
"Keir Starmer and his Government have betrayed the very people they promised to protect. Family farms are the heart of Fylde’s countryside, producing food, supporting jobs, and preserving our rural heritage. Labour’s Family Farm Tax is not just an attack on farmers – it’s an attack on every household in Britain, as food prices rise and food security is undermined.”
"I’m here today to tell Labour they’ve got it wrong. I’ll fight against this damaging policy in Parliament and ensure Fylde’s farmers and rural communities have a strong voice standing up for them."
Protestors shared their anger, accusing Labour of breaking their promises to Britain’s farmers. Ahead of the election, Keir Starmer told the National Farmers Union that Labour would not introduce changes to Agricultural Property Relief. Now, farmers feel abandoned and betrayed.
Steve Butler, a local farmer from Fylde whose family has worked their land since 1863 and who was also at the protest, said:
"Andrew being here today shows he understands what we’re going through. My family has farmed here for generations, but this reckless decision by Labour puts thousands of family farms at risk. It’s a betrayal of the promises they made to farmers and their families."
Adding insult to injury, former Labour adviser John McTernan recently claimed Britain “doesn’t need small farmers” and suggested treating farmers as harshly as Thatcher treated miners. Meanwhile, Labour’s extreme climate policies, requiring cuts to meat and dairy production, threaten to pile even more pressure on rural communities.
Andrew has vowed to keep fighting Labour’s damaging plans, ensuring Fylde’s farmers have the strong voice they deserve in Westminster.
**ENDS**
Photo attached of Andrew Snowden MP with local Fylde Farmer Steve Butler.
