Environment secretary says 'sorry' to farmers over tax 'shock' - as noisy protest impacts speech
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Environment Secretary Steve Reed has apologised for the "shock" suffered by farmers after the government upped taxes on farms. Ministers are battling backlash from farmers over various measures announced in last year's budget, including introducing inheritance tax for agricultural businesses worth more than £1m, and a faster phaseout of EU-era subsidies in favour of environmental payments.
In an attempt to reset relations with the sector, the environment secretary earlier apologised for the impact of the changes, as he set out plans to try to get cash flowing to farms. "We were shocked by the size of the financial black hole we were left to fill, and I'm sorry that some of the action we had to take, shocked you, in turn," he said in a speech at the Oxford Farming Conference.
At times, he was drowned out by the sound of around 30 tractors in a protest outside. A small group of farmers honked horns and blared the tune of 'The Final Countdown' - warning the tax changes meant the end of the road for some farms. But Mr Reed denied that upping inheritance tax would force some farms to sell up.
Could this be the future of farming? Inside Europe's biggest vertical farm. In a time of change Sky News spent a critical year on a farm. How climate change and red tape could be jeopardising UK access to affordable food. "No, I don't accept that," he told journalists after his speech.
