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 (5 December), the motion addressed the potentially devastating changes to Inheritance Tax, which the National Farmers Union (NFU) recently described 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 urge 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 reverse 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 numerous rural communities, and we recognise the important role 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, and labour.
“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 the 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 and subsequently amended by the ruling Conservative Group, was also passed at the meeting. It included supporting the sourcing of food and drink from local farmers to feature at RBC events wherever possible.
• Rushcliffe: Council urges MPs and East Midlands Mayor to release cash for road repairs
