NFU president meets with East Anglia farmers ahead of another protest
29th January 2025
“We have to focus on policy, not politics,” said the NFU president Tom Bradshaw during the meeting with farmers from across East Anglia which took place earlier today.
Mr Bradshaw attended the East Anglian Farmers United meeting to talk about the current issues in the farming sector, including changes to the inheritance tax and food imports.
He said that farmers have every right to show their dissatisfaction with governmental policies, however, they should demonstrate their anger in a respectful way.
The NFU president added: “We have to keep the pressure on, but we need to also maintain the public support.
“We also need to have a good relationship with retailers as they are our biggest customers. The fact that they have been willing to come out and support us is very positive.”
READ MORE: Tesco, Co-op and Lidl back farmers in ongoing inheritance tax row
READ MORE: More supermarkets stand on farmers’ side in IHT fight
Support for local farmers
Mr Bradshaw added he is very proud that over 270,000 members of the public have signed the petition that urges the government to abandon plans to change the family farm tax reliefs.
The NFU president together with the NFU Cymru president Aled Jones handed the petition to 10 Downing Street last week.
Evidence from the NFU, in consultation with former Treasury and Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) economists to inform analysis of the impacts of APR reforms on commercial family farms, found that up to 75% of working farms could be affected, with some facing tax bills of £100,000s.
Mr Bradshaw said that NFU is supporting the go-slow rally that is set to take place in Suffolk next Monday, 3rd February, however, he will not be in attendance.
Farmers are set to meet up at Walk Farm on Felixstowe Road in Levington, Suffolk, from 8 am. The convoy will leave the site at 10 am and will head westbound down the A14 to the sugar beet factory in Bury St Edmunds.
Then the tractors will be coming round, heading back eastbound on the A14 towards Port of Felixstowe Road. The convoy will move at slow speed, 20 mph.
The organisers confirmed that farmers will drive close to the Port of Felixstowe to highlight the issue of food imports coming to the country.
READ MORE: ‘This is our last push’ – East Anglia farmers will again hit the streets
Doors shut for discussion
Mr Bradshaw has also urged Suffolk farmers to act locally by engaging in conversation with shoppers, in the same way as it took place last weekend when farmers spoke to the public at Tesco in Ipswich.
He said that the farming sector needs to give shoppers clear explanations of why they should buy British produce and how to find food that has not only been packed but also produced in the country.
Speaking about the changes to the inheritance tax ahead of the Parliament debate on 10th February, Mr Bradshaw said that it has been “pretty difficult” to talk through the issue with the government.
“The door has been rather shut than open for us to talk to chancellor Reeves about this,” he concluded.
On the same day, the MPs will debate the Family Farm Tax petition.
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