Forum Topic

Farmers' London Protest Today

What an amazing turnout! 👏🏻

Sue Hammond ● 87d15 Comments

Thank you, Richard.I am a firm supporter of farmers in the UK.  Yes, prior to 1984 there was the Capital Transfer Tax introduced in 1975.  This replaced the Estate Duty introduced in 1894.I am sure that farmers do pay tax in their lifetime.  But, as they say, many farmers are asset rich and cash poor. I am all for farmers being exempt of IHT provided the land is passed down to members of their family.  What I do not support, are wealthy people buying land, pretending to be farmers and hence be exempt of IHT.  And yes, supermarkets are awful to farmers.  I do love farmers' markets though.

Ivonne Holliday ● 86d

Ivonne, I've managed to confuse myself as well as you, I put it exactly the wrong way round, sorry! Farms paid IHT until 1984, when it was abolished for them. So it didn't seriously affect farming families before 1948, which renders the bleating now rather odd. And the real enemy is the supermarkets - and through them, ourselves as consumers - because we want low prices for our food.

Richard Carter ● 86d

Hello Richard,You have confused me somewhat.  Farming was exempt from IHT until 1984?  I thought it was introduced then.We want farmers to farm the land and produce food for us.  As it stands, farmers' income is truly lamentable as most profits are taken by supermarkets.  Small holdings will not survive with the introduction of IHT.  The ones that will do nicely are very wealthy farmers who I expect will put land on trust (or similar) and/or profits in tax havens.

Ivonne Holliday ● 86d

House and land prices in 1984 are very different to those of today.  I wouldn’t personally want to work all hours in all weathers only to be screwed by supermarkets in a race to the bottom.  Government targeting the wrong people again.

Robert Wheeler ● 86d

But, Robert,  you ignore the fact that farming was exempt from IHT until 1984, without the roof falling in (sorry for the poor metaphor)

Richard Carter ● 86d

Richard what about UK food security and sustainability.  This IHT on farms is a clumsy brick to close an issue.  Again a really poorly through idea.  You sell land off you can’t grow anything, what are we going to eat Rainer’s bricks and mortar.  The knock on cost to the environment importing food.  Blimey even in WWll they used Putney Common as allotments.All Governments support their farmers look across to Europe.

Robert Wheeler ● 86d

Children our our future give them strength and let them lead the way.

Barbara Stevens ● 86d

Last year The Times published a fact-checking article on the effects of IHT on farms, which included this:"Will this spell the end of some family farms?The NFU argues that for some family farms, which are asset-rich but cash-poor, the only way to meet IHT bills will be to sell off assets or land. However, farmers will be allowed to spread the IHT payments over a decade: a farm worth £5 million, for example, may end up owing £400,000 in inheritance tax, which could be split into ten yearly payments of £40,000. This will further help farms avoid selling off assets." (https://www.thetimes.com/article/10c03b68-9d67-413b-bd94-28d65082b037)The government has made enough mistakes already, but it really is time to dial down a bit on some of the ridiculously overblown criticism here

Richard Carter ● 86d

Even more interesting would be how they would move the tank shown in the picture.  If they called out the army the soldiers would probably end up on the side of the farmers.  I agree with Elizabeth this arbitrary figure of £1m shows a total lack of understanding of Labour’s “working people”.  Most farm equipment is over £500k never mind a house.

Robert Wheeler ● 86d

Would be interesting how the police would move all those tractors. The blockade could last for weeks.

Andy Pike ● 86d

I'd expect them all to be arrested under the new laws intended to clamp down on 'disruptive protesters' causing a nuisance, like the Just Stop Oil people were on the M25.

Peter Evans ● 87d

Devon Live which I get online has the picture of a farmer with a poster saying "No Farm, No Food, No Future"What dismays me is this figure of £1m.  Have I got that right? I think of the many millions the Blairs have amassed, Mandelson saying he was relaxed about people getting "filthy rich". And the incessant rain there's been means it's been difficult/ impossible to plant crops, to harvest, to have livestock in fields.I  realise Ms Reeves didn't consider the impact of the NI increase on charities, hospices, care homes so she probably didn't pay much attention to the outlook for small farmers.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 87d

What a fabulous turnout! Hat off to them!  👏👏👏

Ivonne Holliday ● 87d

Labour are beyond clueless.  They have picked fights with the people their electorate actually support, farmers and OAPs and very very soon they are going to land us with more taxes in April.  All ideology and all for “the working man”.  Never mind removing IHT from farmers who produce our UK food their only way back now is if they cancel IHT completely.  I am beyond fed up with this two faced government (yes l have rid our party from antisemitism) and the rest of the garbage that were on this WhatsApp group who didn’t have to guts to actually leave the group.  Doesn’t this sum up this current lot.

Robert Wheeler ● 87d

Good turnout.

Barbara Stevens ● 87d