Campaign launched to save Hitchin Christmas Tractor run with fears raised over future of the event.

Prior to Christmas many people turned out to see a wonderful display of around 100 tractors decorated in Christmas lights driving through our area culminating with a display in Hitchin.

This event brought plenty of joy during the pandemic at a challenging time for many. It also raised more than £7,000 for the Garden House Hospice.

Sam Collins the Liberal Democrats Parliamentary Candidate for Hitchin & Harpenden said: "Plans are already underway to make this an annual event but, this will not happen if the government gets its way, as it is effectively planning to ban events such as this.

"Ploughing matches, a traditional and popular feature of the farming calendar in our area for decades, will also essentially be made impossible by changes being introduced by the Government in April.

Farmers are able to use a special lower tax type of diesel fuel called red diesel in their tractors, but from April 1 the Government plans to make the use of that fuel for ploughing matches and charity tractor runs illegal."

Changing to conventional or 'white' diesel for a single fundraising event would require the tractor's fuel system to be completely flushed out, a time consuming and potentially expensive procedure which will essentially make both ploughing matches and charity tractor runs impossible.

This stance was believed to be confirmed by HMRC, who stated that the purpose of tractor runs and ploughing matches would be deemed as pleasure, rather than agricultural work - and as such wouldn't be acceptable uses of red diesel.

Councillor Collins added: "This shortsighted position from HMRC will not only rob people of a bit of pleasure and will stop local farmers being hold a much needed event that that they enjoy, and is good for their mental health.

"If HMRC does not exempt these events then local charities will be robbed of thousands of pounds that they badly need, and the Government has issued no proposal to replace that much needed income."

The Hitchin & Harpenden Lib Dems have launched a campaign to save the Hitchin Christmas tractor run, with a petition which can be found at: https://www.hitchinharpendenlibdems.org/save_the_hitchin_christmas_tractor_run

The petition calls on Lucy Frazer MP (Financial secretary to the Treasury and minister responsible for HMRC) and Victoria Prentis MP, Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to exempt ploughing matches and charity tractor runs from the requirement to run white Diesel.