Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Member of Parliament for Solihull West & Shirley, has supported protesting farmers in Westminster today, 4 March 2025, to campaign against Labour’s vindictive Family Farm Tax, which threatens the future of 133 farms across Solihull.
On Tuesday, farmers, joined by Conservative Members of Parliament, took to the streets to campaign against the Labour Government’s cruel decision to impose the Family Farm Tax.
The protest highlighted how even a simple pancake relies on farmers working many hours to produce its ingredients. Farmers brought all the equipment needed to make pancakes, showing the importance of supporting UK farmers for UK food security.
Previously, the Conservatives have delivered a petition calling for the repeal of the Family Farm Tax, which received over 215,465 signatures and was delivered to the Labour Government by Conservative Shadow Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Victoria Atkins MP.
Commenting, Shadow Secretary of State Victoria Atkins said:
The Family Farm Tax has been imposed by a Labour Government that has no understanding of rural life or the importance of family farms. Keir Starmer and Steve Reed broke their promise not to change inheritance tax for farms and now have.
We have handed the Labour Government a petition of over 200,000 signatures to stop this tax which has received unanimous criticism from the farming sector including the NFU who have warned that food prices could increase as a result of this.
Labour must listen to farmers and repeal this tax as the Conservatives have pledged to do. The Farmers who marched on Tuesday and work long hours to serve us food every day must not betrayed with Labour’s Family Farm Tax.
Commenting, Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst said:
Despite thousands of farmers descending on Westminster and hundreds of thousands signing petitions against the Family Farm Tax, Labour are intent on continuing this ill-conceived tax.
On Tuesday, the Labour Government, including Labour MPs, had the chance to see how critical farmers are to food production. We will continue to speak out against the Prime Minister’s plans that will impact hundreds of thousands of farmers, their families, and communities like in Solihull West & Shirley.
Labour have chosen to support the Family Farm Tax, betraying farmers across the country and increasing the risk of the price of food going up.
I am sure people here and across the country will consider it unforgivable if they destroy the farming industry as this tax will ultimately do.
