Voters go to the polls tomorrow (Thursday) with more than 1,600 seats up for grabs at 23 county councils across England. Mayors will also be elected in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Doncaster, North Tyneside, the West of England, Hull and East Yorkshire and Greater Lincolnshire.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: 鈥淭oday鈥檚 elections are a timely opportunity to shine a light on some of the huge challenges facing farmers such as the family farm tax and why continued support from local authorities, councillors and regional mayors is so important.
鈥淥ver the past 18 months, the industry has taken a battering, and the confidence of farmers is rock bottom. Volatile input costs, extreme weather and flooding, increasing rates of rural crime, issues with planning red tape and the recent closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) have all taken their toll.
鈥淭he government鈥檚 announcement during last October鈥檚 Budget on changes to inheritance tax was also a devastating blow with many farming businesses set to face unaffordable bills, meaning an end to possible investment or growth opportunities, as well as huge pressures on mental health.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been heartening to see so many county councils stand up for hard-working local farmers and pass motions to back the NFU鈥檚 Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign and call on government to reverse its decision on this pernicious policy. Councils from Northumberland to Norfolk have sent strong messages about the vital role farmers play in rural communities up and down the country.
鈥淔arm businesses are the bedrock of the UK鈥檚 food and drink sector, the country鈥檚 biggest manufacturing sector, contributing 拢148 billion to the national economy and supporting more than 4 million jobs.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we have outlined in the NFU's Blueprints for Growth听the need to invest in our farmers and homegrown food production at both a local and national level to secure UK food security in the future. One of the critical areas is an enabling planning framework that unlocks investment.听This will deliver jobs and kickstart rural economic growth by breaking down barriers to opportunity for rural communities.
鈥淭he support of local councils and regional mayors for our industry is vital听not just on the family farm tax, but also on issues that impact our members such as planning and the procurement of more British food.听We look forward to working with those newly elected representatives, alongside constituency MPs, to help lay the foundations for a sustainable and profitable future.鈥�
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