Lib Dem MP warns of “triple whammy” for local farmers

Claire Young MP accused the Government of selling out British farmers through its new trade deal with the United States, all while slashing DEFRA funding and introducing the family farm tax, which they described as a “triple whammy”.

Under the new agreement, the UK will remove a 20% tariff on US beef imports and raise the import quota up to 13,000 tonnes. This poses serious concerns about food labelling for US beef, and the impact of its value and quality on British farmers.

This deal comes at a time when farming communities across the West of England are already under severe pressure following the Government’s abrupt closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive in March, alongside the looming introduction of the family farm tax.

These changes, combined with further cuts to Defra’s farming support programmes and the accelerated cut to basic payments, have left many local farmers facing unprecedented uncertainty and financial strain.

The DEFRA budget will be cut by £355m by 2028-29, after the Government recently announced a real terms cut of -2.3% annually from 2025-26 in the recent Spending Review. In particular, the farming budget will also see a real terms cut of £100m.

This follows an agriculture budget underspend of £358m in the last three years, funding which should have reached farmers, who now face a 76% reduction in direct payments under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) this year.

The Liberal Democrats have been urging the Government to scrap the unfair family farm tax and invest an additional £1 billion a year to support the farming industry. 

Claire Young, Liberal Democrat MP for Thornbury & Yate, said:

“British farmers are facing a triple whammy from the Government. They are losing tariff protections against industrially produced beef, struggling with DEFRA cuts, and facing the family farm tax.

“This deal hands Trump an open door to flood our markets, putting our local farms at real risk. Liberal Democrats will keep fighting for our farmers, our food, and our communities.”