The attraction of tractors

It seems that not only the Tory party and Reform back farmers in their fight to avoid paying far less tax than the rest of us, but also so do the Green party and the Lib Dems.

Let’s be clear, as numerous economists and tax experts have explained, there is no logical reason why farming should have huge tax advantages over other parts of the economy.

You can tell that by the campaign run by the NFU and others, all emotional rubbish about youngsters on toy tractors, and evidence-less claims that this tax will threaten food security, or that somehow small family farms are the “backbone” of the industry.

Which is, as far as I can see, a meaningless phrase, clever, rousing even but utterly meaningless.

Reform and Tories can at least claim to have a tradition of being pro agriculture and anti tax, but then they should tell us where they would raise the money from elsewhere.

But the Lib Dems and the Greens?

Surely the Greens are anti intensive farming, anti agri-chemicals, anti polluted water courses, and pro organic, if so campaigning alongside the owners of huge farms bought by tax avoiders is a strange way to go.

As for the Lib Dems this strikes me as purely cynical, they have won a lot of rural constituencies off the Tories and desperately want to hold on to them.

But they have also won a lot of urban constituencies and there are far more of those around than in the shires.

The Lib Dems could, depending on voting patterns, first past the post constituencies and messy maths, be the main opposition party after the next election. But not like this they won’t be.

They can never out Tory the Tories in the countryside, they could in suburbia, but not like this.

This could be like tuition fees which destroyed them when in the coalition government.

If you campaign for decades on the principle that you are not like the other two main parties, that there is a third, nicer, gentler, more balanced, less idealogical way ahead; then you have to stick to your guns.

As I said there is no economic, financial or fiscal justification for farms being immune from taxes which hit the rest of us, none at all. The Lib Dems know this, just like they knew the long term damage tuition fees would do to generations of students.

They jumped the wrong way, both times, not a great advert for a third way.

Jonty’s Jottings

From Jonty Bloom Media Ltd

Economics, trade and Brexit, not necessarily in that order but the dog always comes first.