M50 and M42 motorway banners hit out at ‘family farm tax’
Drivers in Worcestershire will now see banners on motorways including the M50 near Upton and the M42 near Bromsgrove as farmers continue their protest against the 'family farm tax'. The NFU, in collaboration with farming unions NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers' Union, has stepped up its #StopTheFamilyFarmTax campaign with a national display of solidarity - the Big Banner Day. 
Roadside and gate banners are being displayed across the country now and into January to amplify the message that the proposed changes to inheritance tax threaten the future of family farms. The banners, designed to be highly visible in key political constituencies, aim to keep public attention and build political pressure on the devastating impact these changes would have on farming families and rural communities. Bromsgrove farmer Ollie Raybould has put a banner in a prominent position on his land alongside the M42 and said he wanted to support the campaign.
The beef, sheep and arable farmer said: "Farmers and growers are behind this to continue to amplify the campaign message as part of the NFU's ongoing work to overturn this family farm tax. "We are in the business of producing food for our towns and cities alongside supporting the food and drink sector across Worcester, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove and further afield. "That is what we want to be focused on alongside what we do to support our communities and our environmental work but we are now in a position where everything hinges on this family farm tax and its potential impact on our family farms.
"The NFU banner campaign is just the next step and we will not go away on this important issues for county farmers and those across the country." NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: "The Big Banner Day is a powerful visual reminder to the government that our fight to protect family farms is far from over. "These tax changes are unjust, based on flawed data and risk destroying the very backbone of British agriculture.
"Family farms have been at the heart of our rural communities for generations, producing high-quality food, supporting local communities and maintaining the beautiful landscapes we all value. The proposed changes threaten not just individual farming families, but the future of the heritage and traditions of an entire way of life." His words were echoed by farmer Jane Bassett, who represents NFU members across the Midlands including Worcestershire as regional board chair, who said farmers and growers from all counties were involved to amplify the campaign message.
"Farming families are proudly displaying these banners as part of the NFU's ongoing campaign to overturn this family farm tax and we are amplifying our message to politicians and the public," she said. "This is the next step following the mass lobby in London and other events over December and will act as a strong visual presence to keep the political pressure up on MPs and remind people of the campaign against this insidious tax. "The changes proposed are huge, both devastating financially to farmers as well as being based on flawed data.
"As a result the traditions that underpin our rural communities are under threat, as well as to food production, environmental delivery and the wider rural economy." RECOMMENDED READING: Farmers 'in it for the money' because they need to make profit, says Steve Reed[1] RECOMMENDED READING: NFU anger: farmers meet over Budget and inheritance tax[2]
To support the campaign, car stickers will also be available to boost visibility even further, allowing supporters to spread awareness wherever they travel and reinforce the call for action among the wider public. Mr Bradhsaw added: "Only a combination of public support and political pressure will lead to a change in this damaging policy. The NFU is in a unique position to apply that pressure, bringing together stakeholders from across the country, coordinating efforts across all the home nations and leading a campaign to highlight the importance of protecting British family farms.
"We owe it to our farming families and to future generations to ensure these damaging proposals don't undermine the future of food production.
This is a fight we will not abandon, and we need everyone to stand with us."
References
- ^ RECOMMENDED READING: Farmers 'in it for the money' because they need to make profit, says Steve Reed (www.worcesternews.co.uk)
- ^ RECOMMENDED READING: NFU anger: farmers meet over Budget and inheritance tax (www.worcesternews.co.uk)