Iran war takes familiar toll on Britain’s punch-drunk farmers Food The Iran war has left farmers facing another round of brutal cost rises. With the scars wrought by the cost-of-living crisis only just beginning to heal, many are warning that something will have to give. The bucolic West Suffolk estate managed by farmer Andrew Blenkiron does not, on appearances, look like a scene ravaged by [...]
Inheritance tax crackdown will not spark family farm firesale, study finds Wealth Most farmers will be able to shoulder the inheritance tax bill foisted on them by the Treasury at last autumn’s Budget without having to sell their family farm, according to a fresh analysis which also proposed new ways the reforms could be “better targeted.” The paper, from independent tax think tank the Centre for the [...]
Record number of farms shut after inheritance tax grab Politics A record number of farms closed in the year after the government announced it was ending a carve out that allowed farmers to pass down their estates without paying inheritance tax. According to official data, 6,365 agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses have shuttered over the past year, the highest number since the data started being [...]
Wheat and see: Farmers fear trade deal impact on bioethanol and beef markets May 13, 2025 Ministers and commentators heralded the UK’s trade deal with the United States as a political coup that will save thousands of jobs at British automakers. But changes to beef and bioethanol trade rules have left an already bruised agricultural sector fearing the worst, writes Ali Lyon. When he’s not slavishly editing clips for the hundreds [...]
‘We will not give in’: Farmer tax fury is not going away February 26, 2025 Gripping his lectern on stage in Birmingham, Keir Starmer was attempting to win over the ever-sceptical delegates at the National Farmers’ Union congress. The then-leader of the opposition told attendees of the 2023 iteration of the annual jamboree that he understood their pain, and promised to reset government relations with farming were he fortunate enough [...]
CBI boss warns Rachel Reeves’ farm tax will undermine growth push February 25, 2025 Speaking at the National Farmers' Union's (NFU) conference, Newton-Smith said there was no sector more "foundational" to the UK economy than farming.
Inheritance tax: Ministers urged to ‘do right thing’ ahead of farming summit February 25, 2025 The government is being urged to “do the right thing” over its plan to bring in inheritance tax for farm businesses worth more than £1m, following months of protests by farmers. Ministers are being encouraged to “reset” their relationship with Britain’s farmers, ahead of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) conference on Tuesday. President Tom Bradshaw [...]
In Starmer’s Downing St, some unions are more welcome than others February 19, 2025 Some unions are just more welcome in Downing Street than others. A couple of weeks ago, leaders of the 11 trade unions formally affiliated with the Labour party were invited to talks in No 10 with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his deputy, Angela Rayner. The meeting was called to discuss the Employment Rights Bill [...]
St Ewe Free Range Eggs on the ‘utter carnage’ of IHT reform and rebuilding trust with Labour January 25, 2025 For Rebecca Tonks, running St Ewe Eggs has been a passion project for 17 years. Tonks, who was 12 when her family first started selling eggs in addition to its dairy produce, launched the St. Ewe Free Range Eggs brand to UK supermarkets in 2007 under the Red Lion accreditation. “It didn’t take very long for [...]
Labour’s inheritance tax reforms ‘threaten the very fabric of the countryside’ October 31, 2024 In yesterday's Budget, the Chancellor announced a sweeping overhaul of the inheritance tax system, including changes to a relief which had allowed agricultural land to be passed on tax-free.