LOCAL MP Rachel Gilmour has called on the Government to recognise rural communities as ‘the lifeblood of British food security’ by axing its family farm tax.

Mrs Gilmour, whose Tiverton and Minehead constituency covers West Somerset and the Culm Valley and parishes neighbouring Wellington, spoke after the latest Food Security Report by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

She said the report revealed the number of ‘food secure households’ fell from 92 per cent to 90 per cent between 2019-20 and 2022-23.

Low-income and disabled groups were found to be disproportionately at risk of becoming food insecure.

Mrs Gilmour said the report also found agri-food labour shortages following the UK’s departure from the EU and a spike in fertiliser costs following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine were having a significant impact on the food supply chain, with the country facing food shortages for sustained periods.

She said Liberal Democrats wanted to see the Government recognise the importance of rural communities in sustaining Britain’s food security and provide farmers with support to see food chains thrive.

Mrs Gilmour, who recently met former National Farmers Union chairman Richard Tucker, said the Government should start by reversing its family farm tax to protect farmers.

She said: “This report is a stark reminder that farmers and rural communities are the lifeblood of British food security, our economy and our environment.

“We should be celebrating and supporting their work, yet two consecutive Governments have completely neglected their needs.

“Farmers have had to suffer the consequences of botched trade deals under the previous Conservative Government, and now they face an unfair family farm tax under the new Government.

“The agricultural policy of this Government and the last has actively disincentivised the production of food.

“It is an outrageous and foolish betrayal of our farmers.”

Mr Tucker said: “I just hope sense comes to the fore here, because farmers are not just the backbone of the rural community, family farms and family farming members are on village hall committees and are involved in so many other parts of rural life, it just would not be the same without them.”