Sir James Dyson’s farm benefited EU subsidies despite the millionaire backing Brexit

Sir James Dyson pictured with the former chancellor George Osborne. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA. - Credit: PA Archive/PA Images

Sir James Dyson’s farm has benefited from millions of pounds in EU subsidies – money that anti-Brexit campaigners have argued should be paid back.

Despite already being one of Britain’s richest men, Sir James Dyson’s own farm – Beeswax Dyson in Lincolnshire – has received £4.2 million of European subsidies between 2016 and 2017.

The figures were provided by the People’s Vote campaign – money that the campaigners believe should be paid back.

The group said, despite supporting Britain’s departure from the EU, Dyson has been happy to collect subsidies from the trading bloc for his Lincolnshire farm at Nocton.

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In 2016 the farm received £1,819,793 and in 2017 the figure was £2,361,989.31.

Susan Elan Jones MP, leading supporter of the People’s Vote campaign, said that Dyson was the ‘worst sort of pro-Brexit establishment hypocrite.’

‘Happy to take EU handouts but doing everything he possibly can within the law to avoid paying tax by moving his businesses not just out of Britain but out of the EU.

‘His farm got £4.2 million from the EU between 2016 and 2017 and I believe he should pay back every single penny. If he doesn’t want his businesses to pay our taxes he shouldn’t be getting the benefits they provide.’

Dyson is planning to move from its headquarters from Britain to Singapore but the company’s chief executive Jim Rowan said lower taxes and Brexit were not behind the move.

‘The move is nothing to do with Brexit or tax, it’s about making sure we are future proofed. There are huge revenue opportunities in Singapore, China is the poster child of that,’ he said.

‘The tax difference is negligible for us, we are taxed all over the world and we will continue to pay tax in the UK. We will continue to invest in the UK, in Malmesbury, in Bristol and London.’

Rowan confirmed that Sir James was integral to the decision to ditch Britain.

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The firm said in a statement: ‘An increasing majority of Dyson’s customers and all of our manufacturing operations are now in Asia; this shift has been occurring for some time and will quicken as Dyson brings its electric vehicle to market.

‘We are now at a point where Dyson’s corporate head office will relocate there to reflect the increasing importance of Asia to Dyson’s business.’