Keir Starmer blasted for refusing to U-turn on farm tax despite suicide fears | Politics | News

Tory Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins said: “I have repeatedly voiced the tragic stories shared with me, both in the House of Commons and outside it, about the human cost of this draconian tax.

“Keir Starmer cannot pretend he doesn’t know the damage this will do to farmers’ lives and livelihoods.

“He must now keep his pre-election promise to farmers and remove this vindictive tax.”

Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice added: “Sir Keir Starmer’s determination to maintain his tax on family farms, despite the very harsh warnings he has received, shows just how brutal and vindictive Labour’s war on our farming community is.

“Family farms are the backbone of British agriculture and should be supported, not taxed to death. Only Reformation will stand up for our farmers and abolish the family farm tax.”

Mo Metcalf-Fisher, director of external relations at the Rural Alliance, said the “incredibly heartless remarks” were “made in defense of the indefensible”.

He added: “The Prime Minister must stop, listen and think about the concerns from the countryside and his own MPs and immediately reset his relationship with the countryside by rethinking this disastrous policy before it is too late.”

The government has faced ongoing backlash over the introduction of inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1 million in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first budget, with the changes due to be implemented next April.

Sir Keir was asked about the policy during his appearance before the Liaison Committee, a group of senior parliamentarians who chair various House of Commons committees.

Senior Labor MP Cat Smith asked whether the Prime Minister was “aware that some farmers who have now been given terminal diagnoses are actively planning to hasten their own deaths”.

Sir Keir replied: “I spoke to a number of people who brought all sorts of things to my attention.”

Ms Smith said farmers who supported Labor at the last general election felt “misled” by changes that would “pull the rug out from under farming communities and destroy the family farm for many farmers”.

The Labor MP for Lancaster and Wyre added: “We are currently in a situation where older farmers or ranchers with a terminal diagnosis will have their farm passed on to the next generation without any tax implications if they die before April, but if they die after the potential of their family farm has become completely unviable their farm will be passed on to the next generation.

“Can you see how farmers can feel that this Government is not treating them the way they expect to be treated as working people?”

The Prime Minister responded: “I understand the concern and I met with the chairman of the National Farmers Union last week, as I have previously, to address their specific concerns.

“I think there needs to be sensible reform of agricultural property assistance. And I think it’s sensible reform.”

Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, who chairs the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, added: “As Cat Smith has just explained, no one should be left feeling that they would be better off dying between now and next April.”

Sir Keir replied: “No, of course. But governments need to make sensible reforms.”

Mr Carmichael called on Sir Keir to abandon the policy amid criticism from his own MPs.

The Liberal Democrat MP said: “You don’t have to listen to me. You don’t even have to listen to the farmers there. You don’t have to listen to the NFU president. So why don’t you listen to your own party colleagues?”

Sir Keir said: “I always listen to my party colleagues.”

The Chancellor restricted the current 100% discount for farms to just the first £1 million of combined farming and commercial properties in last year’s autumn budget.

But critics warned the policy could mean the end of family farms across the country.

Markus Campbell-Savours, a rural Labor MP, was sacked from his party post earlier this month for voting against inheritance tax plans.

The government has insisted the changes, which are expected to bring in around £500 million a year to the Treasury, will not affect most farms.

The Daily Express campaigned for a U-turn with our Save Britain Family Farm campaign.

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