. >> i met with the nfu president just a few weeks ago. on a number of occasions with his predecessor. and there's no issue with meeting. that'll be a matter for her but i myself met the president of the nfu. >> is that an example that you will be encouraging the chancellors of follow? >> the chancellor will manage her own diary. >> we had one witness giving evidence to the select committee when talking about the impact on his farming business broke down. a lot of people don't find this funny. how does it make you feel to hear that witnesses were breaking down before my select committee? >> nobody's comfortable with that but that is why it took the decision to have a meeting with the president of the nfu to invite him in for a meeting with me. not with a great fanfare but just for a private meeting so that i could hear for myself first hand from him as to the points that he wanted to make. >> with a view to making changes? >> no, we've got the policy, we've set up the policy. i was clear on that. did i want to hear what he had to say in a

what's important about this policy is that obviously this has been touted ever since the budget, but the nfu that is the national farmers�* union, they have come out a number of times and said there are ways that this policy can be made — and their words are "less bad" — with tweaks there and i think rather than them now relying on the fact that we could maybe see this completely pulled away, it is making those changes, but it is the power these supermarkets have — we know if they start to hit the government in the pocket, that is when the government will have to look at this. james hughes there. i'm just going to squeeze in a few business stories before i hand back to catherine. the new european union trade chief responsible for post—brexit negotiations has told the bbc, that a "pan—european area is something they could consider". maros sefcovic was referring to the idea, backed by some uk business groups, of britain joining the pan—euro—mediterranean convention. the pem allows manufacturers to use parts or ingredients from dozens of countries, from iceland to turkey, in tariff—free trade.

and, you know, defra, nfu, everyone's figures are different to what the treasury were working with. they didn't have the best of data. we've got better data. they can still achieve what they want to without destroying family farms, you know. and we've just got to keep the pressure on, keep the heat on. there's other things planned in the new year, but this is just just to see out the end of this year. >> well, you know what, oli? i wish you all the luck in the world and a very happy new year's. and i hope 2025 does bnng year's. and i hope 2025 does bring potentially that change of heart from the government. thank you so much and good luck to all the others around the country lighting these beacons of hope this evening on new year's eve, right? i would like to introduce my panel. journalist and broadcaster linda duberly and speaker and social commentator adrian hayes. thank you very much indeed. i hope i haven't butchered your surname though. no, you did very well. okay. fantastic. thank you. i mean, what do you make of that? that's a lovely protest, isn't it, linda, do you think the

policy is that obviously this policy is that obviously this has been touted ever since the budget by the nfu, that is the national farmers�* union, they have come out a number of times and said there are ways this policy can be made less bad with tweaks there and lashed here and there, and i think rather than them now rely on the fact that we could maybe see this completely pulled away, it is making those changes, but it is the power these supermarkets have. we know if they start to hit the government in the pocket, that is when the government will have to look at theirs. find is when the government will have to look at theirs. and it is interesting _ have to look at theirs. and it is interesting to _ have to look at theirs. and it is interesting to see - have to look at theirs. and it is interesting to see them i have to look at theirs. and it| is interesting to see them all collaborate and come together on this issue because the relationship between farmers and the big supermarkets, in particular tesco, and the big supermarkets, in particulartesco, has and the big supermarkets, in particula

were left to fill, and i'm sorry that some of the action we had to take shocked you in turn. >> the nfu campaign is growing in momentum. the uk's major supermarkets backed the farmers, and 270,000 people have signed the stop the family farm tax petition. today's national day of unity will see more farmers gathering across britain to thank the public for their support. anna riley gb news. >> let's talk to the deputy political editor for the mail on sunday. anna mikhailova. who's here? good to see you. good morning. this morning. this is an issue which is not going anywhere. and yet it would seem it's just not being addressed by government. yeah, absolutely. >> i think i mean, it'll be encouraging to see the nfu now this today take what seems like quite positive steps just in terms of i mean, from what i can see, the events today will be effectively farmers pulling out their tractors, pulling up a stool in the town centre and just highlighting what they do, how they do it, and raising awareness, which is all what this is about. i think it's in quite stark contrast to what we've seen befor

the chancellor has refused to meet the nfu president. yes, he's met the nfu president.'s met the prime minister. but actually this is a discussion with the chancellor. and yes, i do think there are things we could look at that allows allows reform of the inheritance tax, but still looks after the family farm and keeps that intact. because family farms need to invest, they need to be more productive and they need to increase their investment in biodiversity on their farms and so on. and this tax will completely wreck those objectives. >> well, it is quite shocking that they didn't appear to see that they didn't appear to see that there would be this kind of ricochet. and also the fact that lots of supermarkets. i mean, you've had morrisons, although there was a bit of an issue, but you've also had others looking to join in with the process. i'm finding it very difficult to understand why the government are not even, as you said, engaging with the industry. what is it that you would like them to do if they could come up with a solution, what would you ask them to do? >> w

important about this policy is that, obviously this has been touted ever since the budget, but the nfuthe nfu, that's the nationalfarmers union, they national farmers union, they have nationalfarmers union, they have come out a number of times to say there are ways this policy can be made less bad, as they say, with tweaks here and there. ratherthan they say, with tweaks here and there. rather than seeing it completely pulled away, it's making those changes. but it's the power that these supermarkets have. we know if they start to hit the government in the pocket, that's when the government will have to look at this. find that's when the government will have to look at this.— have to look at this. and it's interesting _ have to look at this. and it's interesting to _ have to look at this. and it's interesting to see _ have to look at this. and it's interesting to see them - have to look at this. and it's interesting to see them all | interesting to see them all collaborate and come together on this issue. because the relationship between farmers and the big supermarkets, in particular t

and, you know, defra, nfu, everyone's figures are different to what the treasury were working with. they didn't have the best of data. we've got better data. they can still achieve what they want to without destroying family farms, you know. and we've just got to keep the pressure on, keep the heat on. there's other things planned in the new year, but this is just just to see out the end of this year. >> well, you know what, oli? i wish you all the luck in the world and a very happy new year's. and i hope 2025 does bnng year's. and i hope 2025 does bring potentially that change of heart from the government. thank you so much and good luck to all the others around the country lighting these beacons of hope this evening on new year's eve, right? i would like to introduce my panel. righ