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Autumn Budget 2024: Ed Davey interview; ENGLAND: Maidenhead: EXTSir Ed Davey MP (Liberal Democrats leader) interview SOT Q: You're warning of a £70 million cut to the Defra food and farming budget. What impact do you believe that?A: Would have really worried that farmers who are already struggling aren't going to get the extra help, Liberal Democrats argued the last election we needed to increase the budget by a billion and now we've got Labour cutting it. Farmers have had to struggle so hard. The Conservatives really fail by failing to deal with the the payments issue with closing markets is bad trade deals and farmers had a dreadful weather to contend with so. This is the last time last moment for withdrawing support.Q: Farmers are up in arms about the change to inheritance tax, Rachel Reeves announced in the budget, but the director of the IFS has actually said that very few farms will be affected. Is it sort of a mountain out of a molehill?A: A molehill? No, I think it's really worrying for farmers. If you talk to the Country London Business Association, they're really worried it's going to affect far more farmers and I don't know whether it's a mistake by the government or. Frankly, where they've just got it wrong. Either way, I think they need to withdraw. Rural communities depend on agriculture. It's really key part of rural communities and to take this away when farms are passed on from generation to generation think is a mistake.Q: Would you support farmers strike?A: I think farmers will make their own decisions. Really important that people realise we've got the best farmers in the world here in Britain and they've really been struggling. They were not supported by the last government. The Conservatives betrayed farmers and now we're seeing Labour doing the same. It's why Liberal Democrats are saying.You know, withdraw this, this tax that you're putting on farmers on the new inheritance tax proposal, but also support them through d...