The DUP Westminster Agriculture Spokesperson was speaking after raising concerns with the DEFRA Secretary in the House of Commons.
Carla Lockhart said:
“Since taking office, this Government has waged an unrelenting war on UK farming. Whether through excessive regulation, or the threat of inheritance tax changes, farmers feel targeted at every turn.
Changes to inheritance tax places family farms under serious threat.
The Government claims this is about raising revenue for the NHS, yet the volume of money raised by this new tax on farmers, sits in contrast to the millions sent by our government to support farming countries such as Brazil.
Farmers are not asking for special treatment. They are asking for fairness. They are asking for recognition of their role as the backbone of our economy, our rural communities, and our food security. Instead, this Government prioritises policies that undermine British agriculture while funding farming abroad.
In a volatile world, such flagrant disregard for producing food here in the UK is reckless. Food security is vital given the geo-political environment we are living through.
This cannot continue. The Government must change course, scrap these damaging policies, and start supporting UK food producers before more farms are lost forever.”