People across the country are being urged to bombard their MPs with demands to ditch the Labour government’s controversial inheritance tax changes for working farms – before it’s too late!
A viral petition titled ‘Don’t change inheritance tax relief for working farms’ has smashed past 100,000 signatures, forcing MPs to debate the issue in Parliament on February 10 at 4:30pm.
The farming community is fuming over Chancellor’s plans, announced in the autumn budget, which will cap agricultural and business property relief at £1 million per owner from April 2026.
Angry farmers have taken to the streets in protest, saying the move will cripple family-run farms and devastate rural communities. But the government isn’t backing down, recently blocking a Tory bid to condemn the changes in Parliament. Meanwhile, Labour MPs have been accused of sitting on the fence, refusing to support farmers despite representing over 100 rural constituencies.
With the big debate looming, the Countryside Alliance has launched an e-lobby platform to help people pressure their MPs into action.
Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external affairs at the group, said farmers needed as many MPs to attend the debate as possible.
“Doing so will send a message to Rachel Reeves and the Treasury, while reinforcing the strength of our collective opposition to this damaging policy, before it’s too late.
“This is an incredibly important opportunity for you to lobby your MP, urging them to attend the debate to speak out against the family farm tax.”
Backing for farmers is growing, with the UK’s biggest supermarket chains calling on ministers to rethink the tax changes.
And local councils aren’t staying quiet either – 30 councils have passed motions demanding the Chancellor scrap the plans, branding them an “attack” on the countryside.
The battle is heating up, with mass protests planned for today (Saturday, January 25), in towns and cities across the UK.
All four UK farming unions – NFU Scotland, NFU, NFU Cymru and Ulster Farmers’ Union – are rallying behind the cause and will be out in force.
Farmers say they won’t stop fighting until the government sees sense. Watch this space!
