The sight of hundreds of tractors lining Whitehall as I arrived in Parliament on Monday was certainly impressive. They were there as 148,000 people had signed a petition in support of family farms leading to a debate in Parliament. But it is also depressing that rather than being out working the land, farmers were once again having to protest against the Family Farm Tax.
Imposing this tax will see the break-up of family farms in Norfolk and across the country, push up food prices, and undermine our food security. It is causing huge distress for farmers particularly those who due to their age are unable to plan to deal with this unfair change.
The government should think again – it is possible to tackle any tax avoidance while protecting long-standing family businesses. I’ve called the Chancellor tin-eared on this issue and asked on her to speak to farmers, seek a far less damaging solution, and reverse this policy. At the Norfolk farming conference this week, the Farming Minister reportedly said farmers are not high on the “pecking order” of this government. Well they should be and the government should rethink this tax.
As well, as farming there was also a focus on border security and immigration in Parliament this week.
One of the reasons my party lost support at the last election was over the level of immigration. Too many people came to our country, putting pressure on public services, housing, and spending. The ONS has just forecast net migration of a further 4.9 million people by 2032. That’s why we are coming up with plans to tackle this issue which are effective and deliverable.
That starts with indefinite leave to remain which confers an indefinite right to live in the UK and provides privileges including access to benefits, social housing, and pension rights. This should only be granted if a person has come here for work purposes and made a genuine contribution.
Under plans set out by Kemi Badenoch we would double the period of time you have to be in this country before you can claim indefinite leave from five years to ten years – and you only qualify if you haven’t claimed benefits, used social housing, or have a criminal record. We would also extend the time to apply for British citizenship from 12 months to five years after obtaining indefinite leave. That reflects the common sense position that citizenship must be a privilege.
Tackling illegal immigration is also important. However, since the election 24,793 people have illegally crossed the channel in small boats – a 28% increase on the previous 12 months. Yet, legislation the Labour government has introduced actually weakens provisions and removes the deterrent of removing people arriving illegally that the National Crime Agency has said is so important – and has worked in Australia and other countries. And behind the bluster, just 6 % of people on deportation flights arrived on small boats.
Finally, this week is also apprenticeships week and on Friday I was pleased to be at the College of West Anglia to open their new Green Skills Centre. The East of England is a leader in clean energy generation and has key strategic sites. This facility offers courses ranging from retrofitting energy efficiency, drone operation for building surveying and thermal imagining, to solar installation and electric vehicle maintenance and charging. It was great to see this investment in expanding the range of training opportunities available locally.
