Treasury ‘buries’ farming report until after Budget in inheritance tax blow Politics A government-commissioned review that shows the financial pressures on the farming industry has been “buried” by the Treasury until after the Autumn Budget, Whitehall sources claim. The review which was carried out by a former president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Baroness Batters, is understood to lay bare concerns among farmers over Chancellor Rachel [...]
Mahmud Kamani-backed vertical farm collapses after failing to find a buyer Business A vertical farming group backed by the likes of Boohoo co-founder Mahmud Kamani has collapsed after being unable to find a buyer, owing creditors nearly £8m. London-based Vertical Future had raised more than £37m in capital since it was founded in 2016, courting high-profile investors including Kamani, Charles Tyrwhitt founder Nick Wheeler and World First [...]
Groove Armada DJ’s side hustle rakes in millions after Clarkson’s Farm boost Business A wild farming brand co-founded by one half of Groove Armada has surged in value after appearing on Clarkson’s Farm. Wildfarmed was set up by Groove Armada’s Andy Cato alongside former TV presenter George Lamb and Edd Lees in 2018. The business aims to aims to transform landscapes and food systems by producing nutritious, sustainable [...]
The last harvest? How tax changes are impacting British farming September 8, 2025 Britain's food security hangs in the balance as agricultural land is lost to pay inheritance tax bills, writes Sarah Jordan.
UK’s largest bioethanol plant to shut after US trade deal August 15, 2025 The UK’s largest bioethanol plant is to shut, its owner has said, after the government decided not offer the struggling factory an emergency funding settlement after months of fraught negotiations. Vivergo Fuels had been locked in talks over its future with the business department since June, after it warned an element of the UK-US trade [...]
Agritech firm Vertical Future put up for sale on insolvency marketplace after losses widen July 30, 2025 One of Britain’s biggest vertical farming businesses has been put up for sale on an insolvency marketplace after reporting widening losses, City AM can reveal. London-based Vertical Future, which has raised more than £37m in capital since it was founded in 2016, saw its losses surpass £10m in 2024 after turnover tumbled from £6.7m to [...]
Steel industry demands rapid resolution to tariff uncertainty July 1, 2025 Car makers and aerospace manufacturers have welcomed the UK-US trade deal that came into force on Monday, but steelmakers have warned that delays to tariffs on their exports coming down are “paralysing” their industry. The UK is the only country to have secured a trade deal with the US since Donald Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs, [...]
Farmers demand judicial review of inheritance tax grab June 24, 2025 A group of farmers and business owners are seeking a judicial review of the government’s contentious inheritance tax raid, arguing there should have been a public consultation before the policy was confirmed. The claim, which was served to the Chancellor and HMRC on Tuesday, does not seek any concrete changes to the overhaul but alleges [...]
Up to 4,000 livelihoods at risk as ABF prepares to pull plug on bioethanol plant May 27, 2025 As many as 4,000 livelihoods are at risk after the owner of Britain’s largest bioethanol plant has warned it could shut within days, citing UK-US tariff policy. ABF, which owns the Vivergo Fuels plant in Yorkshire, has written to farmers warning it planned to suspend purchases of wheat used in the production process unless the [...]
MPs demand changes to inheritance tax raid on farms May 16, 2025 Plans to levy inheritance tax on farmland threaten the future of British agriculture and should be paused while its ill effects are properly examined, an influential committee of MPs has said. In a damning report on the state of British farming, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee argued there was a “considerable risk” [...]