WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has repeated her pledge to champion local farmers following a meeting with a delegation of local business owners, last week.
The MP met with a group of members of the National Farmers’ Union to hear their concerns about how changes to inheritance tax are threatening the future of small family-owned farms.
The group also briefed her on their concerns about the uncertainty of the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme which supported farmers to introduce environmentally friendly measures into day-to-day farming.
Dame Harriett regularly meets with the delegation to get updates from local growers and food producers and had a detailed briefing when she met with the Union’s senior leadership at Conservative Party Conference.
The group also repeated their concerns about the rising level of rural crime affecting their business and she agreed to pass on their concerns to the West Mercia Police Chief Constable.
Dame Harriett said: “The rural economy is so important to our nation, and I often wonder how much time Labour MPs spend talking to farmers and food producers about the significant challenges they face putting food on our tables.
“The spectre of inheritance tax increases still looms large and, even at this late stage, I hope that the Chancellor will step back from this punishing tax change.
“I heard evidence that farmers are scaling back their production, selling off their machinery and halting investment in their businesses. This is terrible news for the sector and will most likely have a long-term impact on everyone’s weekly groceries bill.
“I have repeated my pledge to support the rural economy and our local farmers and I’ll keep speaking up for them in Westminster as we prepare for another Budget.”
