Sarah Dyke MP has accused the Government of damaging Somerset's rural economy and leaving farmers "bewildered and frightened" in a speech to Parliament on Monday, 15 January.

Speaking in the House of Commons during the Finance Bill debate, the Liberal Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton said England had become "an outlier in Europe" in its treatment of farming. She criticised the Government's handling of agricultural reform, citing a lack of direct food production support and sudden funding changes.

Ms Dyke, who comes from a farming family, said 49% of farm businesses had paused or cancelled investment due to uncertainty caused by the so-called family farm tax. She told MPs that 10% of farms had already downsized, with a further 21% planning to do so before April. These figures have not been independently verified by DEFRA.

She welcomed the Government's last-minute change in December to raise the farm tax threshold to £2.5 million, exempting some smaller businesses, including a farmer in Compton Dundon. However, she said the delay had caused "more than a year of sleepless nights" and questioned why the Treasury had pursued a reform expected to raise only £500 million a year. HM Treasury has not confirmed this figure.

Ms Dyke also criticised the closure of Sustainable Farming Incentive funding "overnight" in 2023, which she said left smaller farms without vital environmental payments. She added that many farmers no longer trust the Government's rural vision, claiming half believe it does not take food security seriously.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for a £1 billion increase to the farming budget, an end to "dodgy" trade deals, fairer supply chain rules and stronger labelling to protect British produce.

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