Farmers head to Westminster to protest over inheritance tax row | LBC

The government is bracing for its largest protest over domestic policy since Labour came to power as farmers are set to take to the streets of Westminster today.

Tensions are high among farmers following the Labour government’s decision to impose inheritance tax on farms valued above £1 million.

Farmers have expressed fears that the policy could spell the end of family-run farms, while ministers maintain that the measure will only impact large estates.

Farming leaders have denounced the decision as a "betrayal" of rural communities but emphasised that strikes causing food shortages are not their preferred course of action.

Nick Ferrari is joined by Clive Bailye, the founder of the Farming Forum, and is an arable farmer from Staffordshire - who has organised today's rally in London.

He is also joined by Tim Farron, the Environment Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale & the party's former leader (2015-17).

#nickferrari #farmers #farmersprotest #labour #inheritance #inheritancetax #london #uk #uknews #uspolitics #news #LBC

LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK.

[AshenVictor]

Ten years ago most farmland didn't have a high enough value to attract inheritance tax. It has gone up hugely because of people buying farms as an inheritance tax dodge.

The tax loophole needed to be closed, but also the government needs to prop farmers up against the supermarket and food manufacturers that are holding prices to farms down.

[martinjohncassidyCASSIDY]

Millions of people in this country will never pay inheritance tax as they can't afford to buy a home and struggle to just to pay rent and feed and clothe themselves. This country is in a poor state mostly cuased by politicians and greed.

[thomasduffy]

Where were the demonstrators when the Tory Government cut a trade deal with Australia that let allowed meat to be imported that had less stringent Animal Welfare laws and at a cheaper price so undercut the British Farmers. I don’t remember Clarkson and company shouting about the end of farming or demos outside Westminster.

[Kool..]

I wonder if Nick will criticise Farmers for blocking roads like the just stop oil protests etc 🤷‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️

[patmcgee]

If my parents left me a £3million farm the first thing I would do would be to sell it as all I’ve heard since this became news is that farmers work harder than anyone else and have no money to show for it at the end of the financial year. Also does this mean that doctors and any other vital professional should be exempt from paying inheritance tax too.

[BLUESKY-ztnv]

When nurses, doctors, teachers, train Drivers or anyone else for that matter chose to strike for better pay so causing mayhem they were classed as Greedy, Unions causing trouble etc etc...Now many of these same people are in support of Rich Land owners and Farmers who are talking of Food shortages and traffic disruption ....funny that .

[nickryder]

Only the top 3 or 4% pay inheritance tax if farmers make it up to 5% then well done ! Clarkson’s only paying what he should anyway as he’s not a farmer ! He’s a wealthy land owner dodging tax

[Cdd]

Multimillionaire farmers are whinging about having to pay half the inheritance tax compared to ordinary people. Why shouldn’t their children and grandchildren automatically continue to be multimillionaires and avoid paying tax?

I say, remove the exemption and let them pay the same inheritance tax as everybody else.

[johnrussell]

A tax perk ordinary farmers enjoyed was exploited by the rich such as Dyson, so they have all lost the perk..

[archimedesbird]

Get ready to buy foreign food
Oh, you're already doing that because supermarkets have been full of it for ages?
Oh well

[markfarmer]

We need farmers! We don't need corrupt politicians!

[ChrisSmith-muwe]

Farmers who will have to pay this should cancel their Farmers Weekly subscription, eat less tofu and fewer avocados, and drink fewer Caramel Nutcracker Lattes.

[nemian]

The poor farmers pay themselves a pittance send their kids to private school and drive range rovers. They need as many exceptional tax brakes as possible.
Make the working poor pay more tax.

[t.e.n]

I'm a bit confused here, can't they just avoid the tax by handing the land to their kids before they die? Plus, it's only when they die they have to pay this or am I mad on that?

[brianferguson]

A recent survey done by Science Direct, Journal of Rural Studies, showed that 60% of farmers voted for Brexit. This study was produced using survey techniques where the participants are completely anonymous and, therefore, are not inclined to give false replies to questions due to embarrassment or shame. Further, other data flattening techniques are employed to double check the validity of the data. So, as demographic groups, farmers and Fishermen voted in the highest national percentages to ruin Britain. But now Farmers are crying about having to pay the "same as everyone else" to repair the damage caused by their greed !

[PaulAnn-yb]

I’m from a farming family and have been a land management advisor for over 30 years. The tax loop-hole may have been created to keep the political support of the farming community by inflating land values which farmers use to borrow against. Hence agricultural businesses often over borrow knowing inheritance tax benefits them so much compared to other businesses. Should farmers / landowners get inheritance tax allowances others don’t get - no. Any family business with over £3m in assets shouldn’t moan about paying like everyone else especially when farmers get assistance via red fuel tax breaks and grants etc. Maybe the supermarkets don’t pay a fair price in which case don’t supply them. Sell direct.

[AlanHughes-ws]

So the vast majority of farmers pay this new inheritance tax on 3 million or over, my heart bleeds.

[nigelballard-mh]

Clive Bailye is the owner of Twb farms.
A sprawling 1, 978 acre pile in Staffordshires, which has a land value in excess of £24, 000, 000. His farm is one of the 59 largest farms in the UK. The cash-strapped farmer also owns an automotive storage business plus various other business interests. He has revolutionised the farming techniques to become one of the most profitable farms in the UK with revenue in excess of £5, 000, 000. Plus, with the government subsidies making this poverty-stricken farmer one of the wealthiest land owners in the UK.
Well done sir.

[XTRAIT-emrx]

The Brexit fan club remarkably are the people who complain more about the price increases more than the one's who went against.

The Farmers are complaining about all the changes in their profession, merely financial. Well welcome to the world that most other people in the UK have had to face for much longer.

[jujitsujew]

This law won’t affect the vast majority of farms and you can completely avoid it if you pass on the farm 7 years before you die…