Rural Britain on High Alert as Labour's Inheritance Tax U-Turn Falls Short of Soothing Farmers' Fury
Labour's Environment Minister Rachel Reeves was met with a sombre welcome at an Oxford farming conference, where a coffin emblazoned with the inscription "RIP British agriculture, 30th October 2024" was laid to rest. The move was seen as a poignant symbol of the anger and resentment felt by Britain's farmers towards the government's decision to levy inheritance tax on farms.
The tax change, which had raised the threshold at which estates are taxed from £1m to £2.5m, was hailed as a victory by rural groups such as the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association. However, for many farmers, it remains a bitter pill to swallow.
"We wanted to pass our farms on," said Christopher Marchment, an arable farmer from Hampshire who brought his working cocker spaniel Grouse to the conference to protest against the tax change. "If people are out protesting like this, the government should think there's something drastically wrong with their policies."
Marchment cited two instances of farmers taking their own lives due to the planned introduction of the inheritance tax. His concerns echo those of many other rural communities, who feel that the government is "going after everything rural", including pubs, businesses rates and fishing.
"Labour are literally going after everything rural," said Derek Pearce, a third-generation arable farmer from Buckinghamshire. "They're going to kill our countryside. We need food production in this country, but we don't know if they actually care."
Despite the government's claims of being "serious about partnership with your sector", many farmers feel that their voices are not being heard.
As Labour's Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds spoke at the conference, she was met with a mixed reception from the crowd. While some welcomed her charm offensive and acknowledgement of rural Britain's importance, others saw it as too little, too late.
Reynolds' words fell flat with one attendee who described the government's handling of the inheritance tax change as "terrible". "A lot of rural communities won't vote Labour again, even if the alternative isn't much better," he said.
The road to recovery for Labour in rural Britain will be fraught with difficulty. The party has a long history of alienating rural voters, and their policies have often been seen as out of touch with the needs of rural communities.
As Tom Bradshaw, the NFU president, pointed out, "The government has got to make farmers and rural communities feel valued, and at the moment farmers don't know where the goalposts are. Does domestic food production matter to the government or not?"
For now, it seems that many farmers will remain skeptical of Labour's intentions. The U-turn on inheritance tax may have been seen as a small step in the right direction, but for those who feel they've been let down by the party in the past, it's unlikely to be enough to win back their trust.
Labour's Environment Minister Rachel Reeves was met with a sombre welcome at an Oxford farming conference, where a coffin emblazoned with the inscription "RIP British agriculture, 30th October 2024" was laid to rest. The move was seen as a poignant symbol of the anger and resentment felt by Britain's farmers towards the government's decision to levy inheritance tax on farms.
The tax change, which had raised the threshold at which estates are taxed from £1m to £2.5m, was hailed as a victory by rural groups such as the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and the Country Land and Business Association. However, for many farmers, it remains a bitter pill to swallow.
"We wanted to pass our farms on," said Christopher Marchment, an arable farmer from Hampshire who brought his working cocker spaniel Grouse to the conference to protest against the tax change. "If people are out protesting like this, the government should think there's something drastically wrong with their policies."
Marchment cited two instances of farmers taking their own lives due to the planned introduction of the inheritance tax. His concerns echo those of many other rural communities, who feel that the government is "going after everything rural", including pubs, businesses rates and fishing.
"Labour are literally going after everything rural," said Derek Pearce, a third-generation arable farmer from Buckinghamshire. "They're going to kill our countryside. We need food production in this country, but we don't know if they actually care."
Despite the government's claims of being "serious about partnership with your sector", many farmers feel that their voices are not being heard.
As Labour's Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds spoke at the conference, she was met with a mixed reception from the crowd. While some welcomed her charm offensive and acknowledgement of rural Britain's importance, others saw it as too little, too late.
Reynolds' words fell flat with one attendee who described the government's handling of the inheritance tax change as "terrible". "A lot of rural communities won't vote Labour again, even if the alternative isn't much better," he said.
The road to recovery for Labour in rural Britain will be fraught with difficulty. The party has a long history of alienating rural voters, and their policies have often been seen as out of touch with the needs of rural communities.
As Tom Bradshaw, the NFU president, pointed out, "The government has got to make farmers and rural communities feel valued, and at the moment farmers don't know where the goalposts are. Does domestic food production matter to the government or not?"
For now, it seems that many farmers will remain skeptical of Labour's intentions. The U-turn on inheritance tax may have been seen as a small step in the right direction, but for those who feel they've been let down by the party in the past, it's unlikely to be enough to win back their trust.
I'm telling you, the government thinks they can just wave a magic wand and make everything okay again? Newsflash: rural Britain isn't that easy to placate! 
Those farmers are still fuming about that inheritance tax U-turn, and I don't blame 'em one bit. 
It's like, hello, you're gonna make our lives harder just to balance the books? 
The NFU and CLA think they got a win, but trust me, it's not just a minor victory – it's a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. 
I'm watching Labour try to play nice with rural voters now, but let's be real, it's gonna take more than just some charm and a few words to fix the damage they've done. 
Farmers are still salty about being "gone after" by the government, and I don't think anyone's buying the whole "partnership" thing yet. 
Like 40% less. That's not just a small change, that's a huge hit. And people are still worried about passing on their farms? 
The fact that farmers have even considered quitting because of this inheritance tax change is just devastating. I mean, I get why they're upset, but come on... 2.5m threshold? That's not exactly "going after everything rural" 
. According to the OECD, agricultural land use in the UK has actually decreased by 11% since 1990. We need more support for farmers, not less. And what's with this "we're serious about partnership" talk? 
If it's just a bunch of words, then why isn't there any real action being taken? 
. It's not just about the tax itself, it's about the principle - do they really think that farmers are just going to be able to afford to pay this tax? 
.
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farmers are being pushed around by gov't policies... inheritance tax change was supposed to bring some relief but i think its a drop in the ocean 
at least thats what the farmers seem to think... gotta ask, is gov't really willing to listen & make changes or is it just a PR stunt?
what's going on with this inheritance tax thing? Like, I get it, farmers need to make ends meet, but come on, £2.5m is a lot of money 
. And now Labour's trying to make up for it by doing an U-turn on the tax? It's like they're trying to buy our trust with a big ol' bow 
, but we've been burned before 
.
That's not something that can be just "fixed" with a new policy or some fancy speech 
.
. Anyway, I just read that Labour's U-turn on inheritance tax for farms has been met with skepticism from farmers. Like, I get it, they wanted a break, but now everyone's all "oh, great, the government cares". Give me a break 
. It's all just a PR stunt to try and regain support from rural communities.
?
. If Labour can't be trusted with our livelihoods and the future of British agriculture, then maybe they shouldn't be in power 
.
. Can't we just have a simple discussion without all the spin and politics getting in the way? 
. Farmers need help, not taxes 
.
farmers r the backbone of our country they deserve better 
let's all try 2 be more understanding & supportive of each other 
. I've seen how they handle things, it's all about politics and money, not about actually helping people. Anyway, I hope Labour can get their act together and start listening to farmers' concerns 
. It's time for them to show they care about rural Britain 
But for real though, farmers have been through a lot with this inheritance tax change and it's not just about the money, it's about feeling valued and appreciated. I mean, if people are literally taking their own lives over it... that's some heavy stuff. 
So maybe this U-turn wasn't a total bust after all? 
Yeah, no I'm just kidding, it's not that simple. The farmers' concerns are valid and the government needs to listen to them more. 
Labour's policies have always been a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to rural communities. They're trying to be all inclusive and whatnot, but sometimes it feels like they're just not getting it.