Tim Farron

Tim Farron

Liberal Democrat — Westmorland and Lonsdale

Speaking in the House of Commons on 4 December 2024

Debate

Farming and Inheritance Tax

Contribution

I have heard that from land agents in my own constituency, and my hon. Friend makes a really interesting point. We obviously do not know what will happen unless and until it happens, but that could be exactly what happens, in which case there would be no money to invest in businesses and people would end up not being able to pay back their loans. Also, the Government would not make anything like the amount of money that they think they are going to, so whatever the outcome, it is bad news for farmers and also for the Exchequer. It is also worth bearing in mind where the money that the last Government spent has gone. It has gone on landscape recovery and other schemes mostly taken up by very, very large estates, where either smaller farmers got nothing or tenant farmers had to do exactly are they were told. In my part of the world, we have seen something akin to lakeland clearances over the last three or four years as a result of all this. So let us not forget that before 4 July, the farming economy was under enormous threat and in enormous danger, either by accident or design, due to the failures of the previous Government, and the Conservatives need to take that on the chin.

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