A cancer-surviving farmer worried about the future because of the Government’s tax raid should “put his affairs in order”, a Labour MSP has said.
Rhoda Grant‘s response to dairy farmer Kenny Campbell’s MP Finlay Carson has been slammed as “shocking”, “tone deaf” and “disgraceful”.
Scottish Tory Mr Carson said: “What does she say to my constituent Kenny Campbell who has just invested over £1million in a new dairy but is a cancer survivor.
“If he died in the next seven years, he would leave his son with a tax bill of over £1million, meaning he would have repayments of over £100,000 year on year.
“There’s a family business going down the drain. What do you say to Mr Campbell?”
Ms Grant answered: “I would say to Mr Campbell that he needs to put his affairs in order.”
This was met with groans from other MSPs.
The Scottish Conservatives said: “A shocking and callous response from Labour’s Rhoda Grant about a constituent who will be directly impacted by the Family Farm Tax. Labour clearly don’t care about our farmers.”
The Daily Express has launched the Save Britain’s Family Farms crusade to demand Rachel Reeves U-turns on the inheritance tax move.
Her changes mean farmers will have to pay tax on any property or land they pass on to their descendants worth more than £1 million.
A rate of 20% of anything above this will be charged.
Andrew Bowie MP hit out at Ms Grant for her response.
He said: “First it was John McTernan saying we could simply do away with family farms.
“Now this. A [Labour] MSP tells the Scottish Parliament that a cancer surviving farmer, worried about the future, should simply ‘get his affairs in order’.
“Shocking. Tone deaf. Disgraceful. Labour.”
Sir Keir Starmer this week slapped down suggestions by an ex-advisor to Tony Blair that small family farms are an “industry we could do without”.
The Prime Minister insisted he “totally disagreed” with comments by former political aide Mr McTernan that that the Government should do battle with farmers in the way Margaret Thatcher did with striking miners.
Mr McTernan said: “I am personally in favour if farmers want to go on the streets, we can do what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners.”
He steered away from whether this would mean a heavy-handed policing response but added: “It is an industry we could do without.”
“If people are so upset that they want to go on the streets and spray slurry on them, then we don’t need the small farmers,” added Mr McTernan, who plays no role in the current Government.
