Keir Starmer stands by farm tax shake-up as major protest looms

PM Keir Starmer doubled down connected the plans and said successful astir cases the changes to inheritance taxation for farmerswill not footwear successful unless the onshore being handed down is worthy £3million

Keir Starmer has doubled down connected his inheritance taxation shake-up for farmers - saying the "vast majority" volition beryllium unaffected.

He said successful astir cases the changes volition not footwear successful unless the onshore being handed down is worthy £3million.

It comes arsenic caller investigation recovered the worth of farmland has risen by 4 times the complaint residential homes person gone up by since 2010. Thousands of farmers are expected to descend connected London connected Tuesday for a immense protestation implicit the Budget plan.

But the PM rubbished claims the Government had turned its backmost connected the farming community, pointing to billions of pounds of investment.

In her Budget past period Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced taxation breaks for farmland worthy implicit £1million volition beryllium closed. But she said a drawstring of protections for spouses and children of farmers who dice mean the threshold volition beryllium 3 times this sum successful astir cases.

Mr Starmer told reporters connected the formation to the G20 Summit successful Brazil: “I deliberation it is precise important that we enactment farmers. That’s wherefore we’ve enactment £5billion successful the Budget for the adjacent 2 years into farming.

"That is not to beryllium overlooked. That is the azygous biggest sum of wealth successful a Budget implicit a two-year play that has ever been enactment down successful narration to farming." He besides pointed to £250million to assistance with flooding and illness power for farmers.

But helium admitted: "Obviously, there’s an contented astir inheritance taxation and I bash recognize the concern."

The PM went on: “The threshold for a emblematic lawsuit is £3million.” The Government announced it is removing inheritance taxation alleviation connected cultivation land. Since 1984 landowners person been capable to walk this connected without being hit. It has sparked concerns that immoderate are buying it up successful bid to debar paying it.

In 2017 BBC Countryfile big and husbandman Adam Henson said "pop stars, movie stars and hedge money managers are buying onshore truthful it is hard for young radical to get into farming".

Analysis of information by existent property consultancy Knight Frank shows the mean outgo of an acre of farmland roseate from £5,397 successful 2010 to £9,335 this year. This is an summation of implicit 70%.

A Labour root told The Mirror : "Labour is asking affluent estates and farms with the highest values to wage their just share."

The PM said: "For a emblematic case, which is parents with a workplace they privation to walk connected to 1 of their children, by the clip you’ve taken into relationship not lone the exemption for the workplace spot itself, but besides the exemption for spouse to spouse, past genitor to child, it’s £3million earlier immoderate inheritance taxation volition beryllium payable.

“That’s wherefore I americium perfectly assured the immense bulk of farms and farmers volition not beryllium affected by this. It’s important for america to support communicating however that works."

From April 2026, farmers volition wage 20% connected eligible assets - fractional the modular inheritance taxation rate. Farming groups pass the measures volition destruct household farms oregon spot them carved up.

Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmers' Union, said connected Sunday: “I person ne'er seen the agreed consciousness of choler that determination is successful this manufacture today. The manufacture is feeling betrayed, feeling angry." Mr Starmer said it is simply a "matter for police" however they respond to the protestation successful London.