During a meeting with agricultural workers on Friday 21st March 2025, Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Member of Parliament for Solihull West & Shirley, reiterated his support for the sector; calling for changes in Agricultural Property Relief (APR) to be reversed, as well as for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme to be reopened.
The 2024 Autumn Budget introduced the changes to APR - impacting up to 102,041 farms across the nation, including a number of farms in Solihull West & Shirley. In addition, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have decided, without warning, to close the SFI.
Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst MP has been a vocal opponent of the changes to APR in Westminster, speaking against the policy in the Chamber of the House of Commons and supporting farmers at various rallies.
Neil said:
As with so much of Government policy at the present time, the changes to APR have been pushed through at pace without any due consideration.
We cannot afford to penalise our farmers with this irresponsible and foolish policy. It is self-evident that farms will have to sell off land, which in turn means less food production. This will result in undermining our food security and, as a consequence, our national security.
In Parliament, I will continue to speak out against this deeply damaging policy, and campaign to protect our nation’s food security by calling on the changes to APR to be reversed and the SFI scheme reopened.
