Not a day passes without the headlines being dominated by the latest Government crisis. Record numbers of illegal migrants, striking doctors, increasing inflation, rising unemployment figures and countless U-turns all show Sir Keir Starmer lacks the grip and gumption to run Britain. Tempting as it is to continually highlight the track record of this most dangerous and damaging Government, we must not forget the plight of our farmers and their ongoing fight against the changes outlined in the Budget to inheritance tax.
Dubbed the “Family Farms Tax”, this new policy would rip farming families apart through the application of inheritance tax at the rate of 20% on farms worth more than £1million. It will make it financially punishing, if not impossible, for farmers to pass on land to their children, as family farms tend to be asset rich, but cash poor.
To stump up the tax for our increasingly greedy administration, the land would have to be sold. The Government remains stoic in its view that three quarters of farmers will pay nothing, yet these figures remain robustly contested by campaigners and those who will be affected by the changes.
I know who I believe. The Daily Express’s crusade, Save Britain’s Family Farms, remains more important than ever. This newspaper continues to back British farmers and raise awareness of the damage that will be caused if this tax is introduced in April next year. Jeremy Clarkson remains the greatest voice for British farming and has done more to highlight the realities facing farmers than most politicians through his excellent Clarkson’s Farm television programme.
To their credit, the Conservatives have been vocal in criticising the plan. Andrew Griffith, the Shadow Business Secretary, also represents the rural constituency of Arundel and the South Downs. “Representing a rural constituency, I recently met with farmers in the South Downs and saw just how desperate family farmers are,” he explains. “Despite promising not to at the election, Labour have thrown a lifetime’s work for many into worrying uncertainty. Conservatives will reverse this measure on taking office, but that may be too late for many. The Government must U-turn now.”
The impact of this proposed tax also threatens our nation’s food security. If farms are sold to pay the levy, there is no guarantee that whoever buys them will continue to produce food. We currently import a third to just under half of all food eaten in this country – worrying given the uncertain geo-political climate. Forcing farmers to sell up would only drive up this figure and make the UK more reliant on other countries. As a nation, it is imperative that we can feed ourselves.
These arguments have been well made over the last few months, but it is vital that we continue to make them, to support our farmers. But the greatest injustice is how this policy has led farmers choosing to end their lives. In May, Sheffield Coroner’s Court recorded a verdict of suicide on the death of Yorkshire farmer John Charlesworth. The inquest heard from his son that his dad was worrying about looming changes to inheritance tax and wanted to “beat” them and “save the farm for future generations”.
The Farmer’s Guardian recently reported the tragic case of a farmer in Glamorgan who was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the Budget. He declined all treatment as he was so concerned about the implications of the inheritance tax on his farm and wanted to ensure that he died before the changes are implemented next April. The man has sadly passed away.
And when the Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins highlighted reports in Parliament about farmers taking their own lives, she was accused of seeking to “politicise personal tragedy” by Environment Secretary Steve Reed. How dare he? When a proposed policy like this is resulting in the loss of human life, it needs to be stopped. We must keep fighting it loudly, as it is at risk of being dwarfed by the daily noise generated by this Government and its climate of chaos.
No less than 81 Labour MPs represent significant rural constituencies in the UK. They need to be left in no doubt that if they do not back our farmers and rebel against this levy, they will lose their jobs at the next election. If this tax is implemented, Britain’s farms and rural communities will be changed forever and beyond recognition – it is not something we can ever allow to happen.