FARMERS from the region took part in this week’s mass rally at Westminster.
They were among thousands who descended on London protesting against planned changes to agricultural property relief.
And Dumfries and Galloway’s MPs met up with NFUS area branch chairman Stewart Wyllie, of Cummertrees, above centre.
Afterwards John Cooper, the Dumfries and Galloway Conservative MP, said: “I have heard loud and clear from Stewart Wylie, who made a huge effort to travel to Westminster, that this Budget is a disaster for the entire agriculture sector across Dumfries and Galloway.
“This is not about millionaires – the casualties here will be family farms and tenant farmers on modest incomes.
“That risks a knock-on effect on communities across our region.
“I have had many worried farmers in touch with me. They have looked at Labour’s plans, and taken professional financial advice. It is not scaremongering to say they fear for the future of farms into which they have invested decades of hard work.”
He questioned the Treasury’s claims that only a modest number of farms will be affected, adding: “We need the Chancellor to get off her high horse, admit she got this horribly wrong, and to scrap damaging changes that will hit family farms and family businesses.”
And Dumfriesshire MP David Mundell said: “The sheer number of people who attended this protest, coming from all corners of the UK, underlines just how serious this matter is.
“It’s clear that the Labour government just doesn’t understand what the consequences of this could be for areas like Dumfries and Galloway and rural areas across the country.
“The government claims that just a handful of farms would be affected by their plan to slash agricultural property relief but, as the National Farmers Union has pointed out, figures from their own Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs show the changes could have an impact on fully two thirds of farms.
“Such a widespread cash-grab on family-run farms would not only endanger their existence over the long-term but obviously have a knock-on effect on all the other jobs and services linked to them in rural and more remote areas. This is nothing less than an attack on rural communities by the Labour government and one I will do everything I can to help stop.”
