'Farmers feel the government is coming after them,' MP Atkins tells Commons

Victoria Atkins, the Conservatives’ newly-appointed Shadow Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, spoke amid growing concern that the new Labour government’s Budget and tax policies will cause hardship for farmers.

She stressed how important the constituency of Louth and Horncastle is in feeding the nation, and accused Labour of broken promises, saying its policies will threaten family farms, harm the local economy and weaken the UK’s food security.

Ms Atkins shares a major concern held by many farmers over Labour’s removal of agricultural property relief and business property relief which, for generations, have allowed farming families to pass on their land without crippling inheritance taxes.

After a call-out to farmers on social media, asking how Labour’s policies will impact them, the MP claimed to have been “inundated” with replies.

She shared stories from farmers who now fear they may lose their family farms and described farmers as being “furious, anxious and even distressed about the changes”.

Ms Atkins said: “They feel that the government is coming after them and their families’ livelihoods when all that they and their ancestors have done is work hard, follow the rules and feed us.”

She also criticised Labour for an accelerated reduction in essential delinked payments and a hike in employer National Insurance contributions, both of which placed undue pressure on farm owners, their staff and the rural businesses that support them.

Throughout her speech, Ms Atkins said the impact of these changes will be felt for years to come. She described farmers as being “the keystone of our rural communities,” and added: “When they struggle, our rural economy is weakened and our food security is at risk.”

Ms Atkins challenged Labour’s understanding of the rural economy, calling on the government to rethink its policies in light of their real-life impact on farming families. She promised to continue advocating for better protections for rural infrastructure and support for agricultural communities.

The Tory MP has encouraged constituents concerned about these new policies to contact her office for further support and to ensure that Lincolnshire’s voice on this important issue is heard loud and clear in Parliament.