NFU president Tom Bradshaw said backbencher Labour MPs in rural and inner city constituencies were still 'absolutely the route through this'
In today's Farming in Five, chief reporter Rachael Brown reports on the farming unions' meeting with Treasury to discuss the family farm tax, where farming leaders felt the door had been 'slammed in their faces' once again. Unions now say their focus is on getting more Labour backbench MPs including those in the inner cities to pressurise the Government ahead of the Finance Bill in Autumn. And in other news, the UK's borders have been called into question once again after 600kg of illegal meat was seized in Northern Ireland, and growers are being urged to be extra vigilant amid warnings that organised crime gangs are targeting rural properties
All four UK farming unions and member organisations from across the sector are due to meet with Treasury officials on February 18 to discuss the Government's proposed changes to Inheritance Tax
Prior to the Budget, the Íæż½ã½ã' Union of Wales previously warned a worse case scenario of full ‘Barnettisation' of Wales' agricultural funding could equate to a ‘drop of around 40% in funding for Welsh farming - a cut of around £150m a year'
Speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir Starmer said it was a political choice. He said you could not have waiting lists coming down while maintaining the 'tax break' for farmers
This week from Rachael Brown, Íæż½ã½ã chief reporter
Liberal Democrat MP for North East Fife, Wendy Chamberlain, accused the Government of failing to consider the impact of its proposed IHT changes on Scottish tenant farmers, despite raising the problem ‘four times in the last three months'
NFU ramps up pressure on the Government to rethink its proposed changes to Inheritance Tax ahead of its Spring Statement in March
Farm Retail Association chair Emma Mosey said the most pressing concerns for their members following the Chancellor's Budget were Inheritance Tax reforms, minimum wage and National Insurance increases
The Plaid Cymru MP and tenant dairy farmer Ann Davies said there was 'train of people' in West Wales buying land for trees, carbon offsetting and solar and wind farms