I am extremely concerned by the Government’s announcement in the Budget to make changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR). This is being referred to as the Family Farm Tax. I, therefore, voted on 4 December in support of the Official Opposition’s motion which called for a reverse to this vindictive tax.
Farming organisations including the National Farmers Union, Countryside Alliance, Tenant Farmers Association and The Country Land and Business Association have all raised serious concerns about the harm this will cause to family farms and tenant farmers.
The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers has also recently reported that up to 75,000 individual owners of farming businesses could expect to be affected over the coming generation, before considering the effect of inflation due to this change. That is the equivalent of five times the Government’s figure of 500 affected for the single year of 2026/27. They go on to say that “even allowing for almost any plausible margin of error, it is reasonable for large numbers of farmers to expect to be adversely affected.”
We should, therefore, be under no illusion these changes will see family farms split up and sold off. Families will lose their livelihoods and homes and there is no guarantee land sold will be used to grow food risking food prices increases, more food being imported, and the countryside being concreted over.
Since the moment this campaign began, I have been in complete support of the farming community and I have been calling on the Government to change their decision.
I was pleased to meet local farmers who had taken part in the stop Labour’s Family Farm Tax plans rally in Westminster. I also filmed a short clip on the day just outside Parliament, which you can watch here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1071015207822761
I have also had the opportunity to ask the Defra Minister of State whether the Government would be rethinking their decision on Family Farm Tax. If you are interested you can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1093683638898676
Whilst the Minister claimed that the NFU had praised the Government on it's "very good financial settlement for farmers" - I'm personally not convinced. Like many local farmers who have been in touch with me, I do not believe that farmers have been provided a good financial settlement.
Unfortunately, the Labour Government is yet to listen to the rural community and change course. It was extremely disappointing that, when the Opposition forced a vote on the Family Farm Tax, not a single Labour Member of Parliament voted to support farmers or rural communities. Instead, they chose party politics and showed that they do not understand British farming or the countryside. They chose personal political ambitions and I do not envy them having to go back to their constituents to explain their misjudgement.
I will continue to fight the Government on this tooth and nail on behalf of our fantastic local farmers.
Kieran