This week the Labour Party doubled-down on the controversial issue, when faced with an opposition debate in the House of Commons.

The Upper Bann MP also tabled a motion for a debate in Westminster Hall on the Future of Farming.

Opening the debate, Ms Lockhart said: “Farming has long been the backbone of our nation, underpinning food security, providing jobs and delivering significant environmental benefits. The agri-food sector across the UK contributes £148 billion to the economy and employs over four million people. It is an industry worth protecting.

“I speak not just as a politician, but as someone with farming in my blood. The future of farming is deeply personal to me, as it is to many of the 209,000 farm owners across the UK, including 26,000 in Northern Ireland.

“Farmers manage 17 million hectares of land to feed the nation. The average farm size is 82 hectares, and their contribution to the UK economy amounts to £13.7 billion annually. Yet, they face an existential threat from proposed changes to agricultural and business property relief.

“HM Treasury’s decision to cap inheritance tax relief at £1 million, with a 20% charge above that, will devastate family farms. These changes know no boundaries and will affect countless family farm businesses. Independent analysis shows that up to 75,000 farming taxpayers will be impacted over a generation - five times the government’s initial estimate.”

The MP added: “In Northern Ireland alone, DAERA predicts that one third of farms, and 75% of dairy farms will be hit hardest. These are real, evidenced figures. Farmers face the grim prospect of selling off prime agricultural land, probably to big businesses that don’t want to use it for food production.

“Three weeks ago, I stood in front of more than 6,000 farmers at the UFU’s rally in the Eikon Centre. Their message was clear: Stop the family farm tax grab!

“If the Labour government proceeds with this policy, it will not only destroy an industry that feeds the nation, but tarnish their legacy, with the destruction of rural communities and livelihoods.

“I respectfully ask the DEFRA Minister to heed the voices of farmers, backed by detailed analysis from the Central Association for Agricultural Valuers and others. Farmers know their industry best. This policy must be revisited to ensure the sustainability of farming for future generations. Let us act now to protect the custodians of our land, the economic drivers of our rural areas and the hand that feeds our nation.”

Carla Lockhart continued: “Farmers face relentless ongoing challenges, and the abolition of agricultural property relief is just the latest in a long list of blatant attacks. For too long, farmers have been subjected to some of the most draconian environmental restrictions. They are blamed for polluting waterways, while raw sewage goes unaddressed.

“Across all four nations, farmers are held back by planning restrictions over ammonia, making it nearly impossible to replace or upgrade sheds, despite these improvements benefiting the environment.

“Farmers face real threats from disease, including bluetongue, TB and bird flu, with little effective support.

“If we genuinely want to support sustainable farming, the government must ensure that it’s policies are properly researched and justified, and are accompanied by meaningful support for farmers in adopting them.

“Instead, the government rolls out a raft of policies that show nothing but contempt for British farming. In the past month alone, we have seen plans to abolish APR, threats of a fertiliser tax and a new tax on double cab pick-ups - the lifeline vehicle for many farmers.”

Ms Lockhart added: “We have also seen the galling revelation that foreign farmers are receiving £536 million from the UK aid budget. British taxpayers’ money is being used to fund low-carbon agriculture in countries such as Kenya, Asia and Brazil - the 11th richest nation in the world. What good is environmental progress if we import more food from abroad, produced to lower standards and with a far greater carbon footprint than what we can grow here at home?

“Britain’s farmers and food security matter. I implore the Minister to reverse course. He should listen to the voice of farmers and prioritise the future of UK agriculture before it is too late.

“On-farm labour shortages are adding further pressure. Farmers are struggling to secure seasonal workers to pick and process crops. The workforce simply isn’t there. If we want a farming sector capable of meeting our needs and demands, the government must overhaul its schemes and work directly with those who know the industry best to address these critical shortages.”

“At the National Farmers’ Union conference in 2023, the now Prime Minister said ‘Losing a farm is not like losing any other business, it can’t come back...You deserve better’.

“Before the election, he wanted a ‘genuine partnership’, adding ‘We can’t have farmers struggling’.

“Sir Keir Starmer said UK farmers deserve ‘a government that listens’, and ‘stability’ and ‘certainty’. He wanted to roll up his sleeves and support our British farmers. Well, I call on his party, which is now in the driving seat, to pull back from this cliff edge and start to introduce policies that support our active farmers.”

The Upper Bann MP continued: “When we think of the future of farming, we must think of those little welly boots at the back door of farm dwellings. We need to support our young farmers, and I call on the government to do more, particularly on education. The very youngest in our society need to know where our food comes from. Sadly, all too often the answer is, ‘the supermarkets’. I call on the Minister to address this issue with his counterpart in the Department for Education. We need a syllabus and an education system that teaches our young people about the importance of farmers.

“It is important to note that a recent poll demonstrated that more than half of those surveyed supported a farmers’ strike. Those protests are coming, because farmers are at breaking point.”

Concluding, Ms Lockhart said: “Farmers in Northern Ireland increasingly need mental health support from Rural Support. There are reports of things getting too much for some to cope with. Farmers need to know that their work and efforts, night and day, are appreciated, and that they are an integral part of our everyday life.

“At the recent UFU rally, I had the pleasure of meeting next-generation farmer and young mum, Lorraine Killen. Lorraine was inspirational as said uncertainty, disappointment, apprehension, dread and heartbreak are just some of the raw emotions she feels when reflecting on the reality of an industry under immense pressure, and a way of life increasingly under threat.



“Let us redouble our efforts and fight with every sinew to support our farmers. No Farmers, No Food!