A MOTION calling on Lichfield District Council to formally oppose changes to inheritance tax has been branded an “empty and facile political gesture”.
Cllr Thomas Marshall has put forward the proposal for debate at a meeting of the local authority this evening (10th December).
The Conservative representative for Armitage with Handsacre said the changes being put forward by the Labour Government will have a severe impact on rural communities, as well as risking the nation’s food security.
He said:
“The proposed changes to inheritance tax announced by the Labour Government in the recent Autumn budget would scrap Agricultural Property Relief which has been instrumental in allowing British family farms to remain intact across generations, supporting food security, sustaining rural communities, and aiding environmental stewardship.
“This tax is estimated to impact over 70,000 family farms, leaving the average farming family with a tax bill of at least £240,000 which will force many to sell portions of their land or close entirely, paving the way for corporate ownership over family ownership.
“This tax will have severe impacts as selling off land or closing farms will put our national food independence at risk, at a time when global stability is already fragile. British family farms are critical to ensuring a steady supply of homegrown food.
“Family farms are the foundation of rural Britain, contributing to local jobs, schools, and essential services. Labour’s proposed tax risks destabilising communities, eroding the rural way of life, and causing a negative ripple effect across the countryside.
“Farms cover 70% of the UK’s land, with family farms playing a leading role in nature recovery, biodiversity, and sustainable land management. The sale and fragmentation of these lands would hinder conservation efforts and undermine environmental initiatives.”
But Cllr Sue Woodward, leader of the Labour opposition group, said Cllr Marshall was playing “party politics” with his motion, adding that it risked destabilising the council, which currently operates under Conservative leadership after no party gained overall control at the last elections.
She said:
“There has been a lot of progress at the district council over the past 20 months and Labour members have played our part in a collegiate way in progressing work on the City Centre Masterplan, the new leisure centre and other important projects while still holding the administration to account.
“I suppose it was inevitable at some point that some members would want to play party politics, but I think that’s a real pity.
“I guess that Conservative members are still smarting from their General Election defeat and the loss of the two parliamentary seats covering most of the district council area, but this motion is just an empty and facile political gesture that will generate heat rather than light and do absolutely nothing for our residents, farmers or otherwise.
“As the late Jo Cox MP said ‘we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us’. That has been the way of working for the past 20 months.
“Simply opposing Government policy without any practical suggestions is a crude way of reinforcing disagreement and division across the council chamber rather than consensus.
“I fear that the current stability could be fractured irrevocably.”
Well said Sue, I couldn’t agree more. Hope the Council finds a way to avoid this attempt to divide & continues to work co-operatively
Kettle and pot? The shoe is now on the other foot Susan.
Just shows how Sue Woodward is out of touch with the rural communities and food security
I think Marshall is a climate change denying twit and one wonders if his job selling fossil fuel to farmers motivates him in anyway. However he raises a very legitimate point regarding farming and what Labour have done.
The somewhat patronising tone of Sue Woodward implying Marshall should not raise this issue because he is not collegiate is distasteful. Suggesting politics should have no debate tends to suggest Ms Woodward is scrabbling around to find a defence. Other than we should not talk about it. Tends to suggest she is on the back foot.
Could the Conservatives not have found a better front person to raise this issue?
I’ve been an LDC councillor for 2 years and during that time council meetings have been thankfully free of these pointless political points scoring debates that achieve nothing. If this is where the Tory party wants to take us then it’ll be to the detriment of sensible, collegiate politics we were working toward.
Lichfield and Burntwood are areas with important and vibrant rural communities and home to significant farming and agriculture businesses. If this class war policy can’t be mentioned in a local council meeting then when can it be? As someone else said on here this smacks of Pots and Kettles.