Tim Farron votes to scrap family farm tax and tells Minister to listen to Kirkby Stephen farmers

In Parliament last night, local MP Tim Farron voted against the Government’s controversial family farm tax.

During a debate in the House of Commons, Tim said that the plans were fuelling a mental health crisis among farmers. He suggested that a "working farm qualification exemption" would target the policy directly at tax-avoiders rather than hard-working Cumbrian farmers.

However the motion calling for the plans to be scrapped was defeated by Labour MPs by 181 votes to 339.

Speaking in Parliament, Tim said: “It’s about time we listened to farmers such as Liz and Matthew Staley from near Kirkby Stephen, and their sons Luke and Lewis.

“I talk to Liz regularly and she says ‘there is so much anguish out there for farmers’.

“On the new schemes she says ‘they aren’t working and there isn’t the crossover yet, they’re just making it harder to make a living’.

“I want to encourage people on all sides, especially in Government to listen to Liz.

“It is farmers vocation to save our planet and to feed our country. The least we can do is to give them the value and the future they deserve.”