Bedfordshire farmers to take part in National Day of Unity to stop the family farm tax

On 25 January, towns in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, from Land’s End to Shetland and from the Giant’s Causeway to Dover, will see farmers gathering to thank the British public for their overwhelming support, and to underline to their parliamentarians that our campaign will not stop until the tax is finally subject to consultation and proper scrutiny.

With all UK farming unions participating, the day’s events will vary from region to region but three simple messages will run through all of them:

· This tax is badly thought out and will crush family farming in Britain.

· The wonderful support of the public means everything to farmers.

· We are not going away. This will go on as long as it needs to go on.

Farmers in Bedfordshire are planning to hold an event, details of which are to be confirmed.

NFU Regional Board Chair for the East of England Alan Clifton-Holt, who represents farmers in Bedfordshire, said: “This National Day of Unity on January 25 will show how farmers across the country will continue to work together to push the case for why this ill-thought out and damaging policy must be scrapped.

“More details of what is being planned in Bedfordshire will be revealed in due course.

“These events will give NFU members the opportunity to engage with the public, to explain how this destructive family farm tax will impact everyone; how it threatens to devastate rural economies, seriously impact our ability to deliver national food security and will lead to the removal of an incredible amount of positive environmental work currently being carried out by our farmers.

“We know we have the public on our side and members will personally thank them for their ongoing support.

“Together we will not take this lying down.”

NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “We won’t give up. There is too much at risk – our families, our future, our heritage and the undermining of the very sector that produces a safe, secure supply of British food.

“This date will give everyone that wants to an opportunity to support family farms from right across the UK, to show unity and strength, and for farmers and growers to speak as one in our call for government to stop the family farm tax.

“We are so grateful to the British public for their ongoing support on this issue. The 25th is not just a day for the farming community to show unity, but anyone who believes Britain’s family farms, and the high quality food they produce, deserve to be better valued and supported.”