The farmer behind a huge protest against Labour’s inheritance tax raid has made a fresh bid to change the controversial policy. Olly Harrison, 43, from Prescot, Merseyside, has launched an e-petition calling for a 12-month amnesty amid fears over elderly farmers taking their own lives before the proposals come into force next April.
The agricultural influencer said the period would allow for the transfer of land and other assets without being hit by a bill that could mark the end of the family farm. Labour sparked a backlash by restricting the current 100% inheritance tax relief for farms to the first £1 million of combined agricultural and business property in the autumn budget.
The fifth-generation arable farmer said: “We don’t agree at all with the policy but some people woke up that morning of the budget and they’ve done a lifetime’s work and had a plan and it was taken away from them in some poorly thought out policy.
“There’s an older generation that are wishing themselves not to be around by the end of March next year because the financial impact on the family could be massive and the lifetime’s work could end up being taken away.
“So we wanted something that would take the human impact out of it. That’s what we want while we negotiate about how they can come up with a policy that doesn’t destroy agriculture so much.
“For now we need something to stop these people taking their lives or the threat of, so that’s what the petition is about.”
Mr Harrison, who has 148,000 subscribers to his farming YouTube channel, was one of the organisers of the major rally against the policy in London last October.
His petition on the official Parliament website has already been signed by more than 1,000 people since being launched earlier this week.
If it reaches 10,000 signatures the Government will respond and if it gathers 100,000 it may be debated by MPs.
Tory shadow environmental secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I urge Express readers to sign this petition to send a clear signal to this vindictive Labour government that they must stand up for British farmers.
“This is an issue that the Labour government needs to address as a matter of urgency. Mental health of farmers is at an all-time low.
“Whilst the Conservatives would axe the Family Farm Tax, at the very least, Labour should delay their devastating policies to reflect on their poor decision and to give farmers time to plan their futures.”
The Daily Express has been campaigning for a U-turn on the inheritance tax policy with our Save Britain’s Family Farms crusades.
A Government spokesperson said: “Our commitment to farmers remains steadfast. We are investing £5 billion into farming over the next two years, the largest budget for sustainable food production in our country’s history, and have appointed former NFU president Minette Batters to recommend new reforms to boost farmers’ profits.
“Our reforms to Agricultural and Business Property Relief will mean three-quarters of estates will continue to pay no inheritance tax at all, while the remaining quarter will pay half the inheritance tax that most people pay, and payments can be spread over 10 years, interest-free. This is a fair and balanced approach which helps fix the public services we all rely on.”
Sign the petition here