The Family Farm Tax Fiasco Continues

Over the past year, I have stood alongside farmers across Newbury and West Berkshire as they campaigned against the Government’s damaging changes to farmers’ inheritance tax – what many now call the family farm tax. These rules risk forcing families to sell land just to meet a tax bill, putting cherished farms at risk of being broken up or lost entirely.

Today, in the Budget, the Chancellor chose to keep the family farm tax firmly in place. Thousands of farmers travelled to Westminster to make their voices heard, and the Government chose to ignore them.

This morning, I met local farmers who had made the journey with their neighbours. Their message was clear: we are running out of time. They spoke about the real fear of becoming the last generation to work their land, and the worry that they will not be able to pass on their farms to their children.

Family farms are the heartbeat of our rural economy. They protect our natural environment, preserve our chalk streams, contribute to our food security, and shape the very identity of Newbury and West Berkshire. Losing them would be devastating.

Yet the Chancellor offered only minor tweaks, nowhere near enough to protect our farmers. It is, frankly, a betrayal.

I will continue to fight alongside our farming community, pressing the Government to reverse this policy and safeguard the future of British farming. Our farmers deserve better. Our rural economy deserves better. And our country deserves better.