Shadow Farming Minister Visits South Shropshire
Stuart Anderson MP was delighted to welcome Shadow Farming Minister Robbie Moore MP to South Shropshire on Wednesday, 19th March 2025. They visited a third-generation family farm near Craven Arms to speak about challenges facing the sector. Present were representatives from the National Farmers Union (NFU) and farmers from across the industry including upland, arable and livestock farmers.
Discussions focused on the impact of the Family Farm Tax, which is planned to take effect in March 2026 when inheritance tax relief will be drastically reduced. Stuart launched his campaign to axe the tax in October, when the Chancellor announced that inheritance tax would be applied to farms with assets worth more than £1 million. Stuart had previously warned the Chancellor that scrapping the reliefs would lead to the closure of many family farms and threaten food security at a time of global tensions.
Subsequent analysis published by the National Farmers' Union (NFU) has found that the policy would put over 125,000 jobs at risk and cost the economy £10 billion. Almost a thousand South Shropshire residents have since signed a petition calling for the support to be kept.
In addition to this, the decision last week to close the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) without notice has further risked food security - with farmers unable to invest in farm productivity and sustainability. Ministers claimed there will be “a new and improved SFI on offer with details to follow the Spending Review.” Nonetheless, Stuart has slammed the decision to remove the scheme without detailing a successor. He has added farmers now face “months of uncertainty” until new details are released.
Discussions also included the recent outbreak of avian flu on local farms, some home to more than 185,000 birds. In February, Stuart called for a resilience and recovery fund to support egg producers and poultry farmers, after 1.8 million have had to be culled.
Stuart said that the outbreak has particularly affected rural areas like South Shropshire, which is home to more than 9.5 million chickens - accounting for 90.8% of livestock across the county. Stuart has also echoed calls made by local farmers for better access to compensation and housing measures.
The MP has said he is determined to help farmers across Shropshire, which is home to the highest number of farms per county in England. A key part of his plan for South Shropshire is to champion our farmers, which means meeting farmers across South Shropshire to raise their voice in Parliament on issues such as fairness in the supply chain and food security. In March 2024, he launched a centralised support portal to help farmers quickly access financial assistance.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"Backing our farmers is a key part of my plan for South Shropshire. They are the backbone of our rural economy. So, I was delighted to welcome Shadow Farming Minister Robbie Moore MP to South Shropshire on 19th March 2025. The planned reduction in inheritance tax relief for farmers is putting family businesses at risk, and the SFI debacle is just another blow for the industry. With the highest number of farms per county in England, these decisions are disastrous for Shropshire. As the Official Opposition, we will continue to fight for our farmers every step of the way."
