Budget has betrayed nation’s farmers and businesses - MP

“The theme for today’s debate is ‘rebuilding Britain’, yet in reality the Budget has the potential to rock the very foundations of the United Kingdom,” she said.

“This Government’s Budget has dealt the most devastating blow to so many: 10 million pensioners are left reeling from the decision to cut the winter fuel payment, with many now having to choose between heating and eating; and the WASPI women have been failed again, as there is no provision to right the wrongs that have impacted so many women across the United Kingdom, including in my constituency of Upper Bann.

“Prior to the Budget, I had warned this House that in the space of a month, four cafés in Portadown in my constituency closed their doors. This Budget will undoubtedly close many more. The requirement on businesses to pay additional national insurance contributions will tell a sorry tale.

“This is not a Budget for working people, despite the rise in the living wage, because that rise will be swallowed up by higher retail costs due to the rise in national insurance contributions for employers. It is a cause-and-effect algorithm. The Budget hits workers and businesses.”

Ms Lockhart accused the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rachel Reeves of “betraying the nation’s farmers”.

She added: “The UK is proud of its rural heritage, but the Labour Party won’t be content until it has ruined livelihoods and decimated family farms. Farmers across the UK are devastated!

“They are the stewards of our countryside, they feed our communities and contribute to the economy, yet they have been severely let down by this Government after just 118 days in office.

“The introduction of a 20% inheritance tax on family farms valued at over £1 million marks an unprecedented and unjust assault on the backbone of our nation. No farms or farmers, means no home-grown food, resulting in rising costs as we have to import food to eat. This policy threatens the survival of family-run farms, forcing many, especially in Northern Ireland, to consider selling off land or assets to meet tax liabilities, thereby undermining the continuity of farming businesses across generations. For Northern Ireland, this tax burden looms heavy. Family farms will be dismantled to cover liabilities, eroding the very fabric of rural life.”

Concluding, Carla Lockhart MP said: “I urge the Government to stop with the spin and, more importantly, stop the farm tax! Labour needs to keep its promises and implement policies that support our farmers, rather than hinder them.

“We must prioritise the sustainability of our agricultural sector to preserve our rural communities, and to ensure the prosperity of our nation, and food security, for future generations.

“Finally, it would be remiss of me not to take this opportunity to congratulate the 47th President of the United States of America, Donald Trump. The fact that President Trump made such a comeback after one term out of office should be a warning to this Government.

“If they continue on a trajectory of burdening ordinary working-class people and businesses financially, and with their anti-life policies, their stay in office will be equally short.”