NFU members, British farmers and the public have joined forces to call on the government to reverse its decision on the APR (Agricultural Property Relief), with more than 120,000 people adding their names to our campaign action to stop the family farm tax.
The move comes after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in the Autumn Budget that farmers and growers would have to pay 20% inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1million, leaving many fearing they would have to break up their farm to pay the bill.
The announcement was made despite multiple warnings from NFU President Tom Bradshaw before the Budget as well as 3,500 emails from NFU members to MPs.
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Immediately after the budget Tom said: “The current plans to change APR and BPR need to be overturned and fast.
“Farmers are rightly angry and concerned about their future and for the future of their family farms, having been reassured by ministers in the lead up to the budget that APR and BPR changes were not on the table.”
And, the general public joined the farming community to express their anger and frustration at the announcement and backed NFU calls for an immediate u-turn.
NFU member Eden Hill who runs the Instagram account Lancashire Lamb Boxes, said: “So proud to be an NFU member, we need you now more than ever and you’re there fighting for us. I know the NFU is always fighting our corner, just usually more behind the scenes, but it's great to have you publicly standing should to shoulder with us. Thank you.”
On social media, arable farmer Tom Allen Stevens said: “Congratulations for launching this petition on the family farms tax and reaching the 100,000 target… consumers know there is a better way to support public services than tax cash-poor farmers.”
Tracy Graham added: “Signed and shared. Everyone able to sign this really should. This is the single most important petition I feel I have ever signed. Thank you to all our farmers.”
Following the Autumn Budget the NFU rapidly stepped up its lobbying and campaigning, including:
- Tom Bradshaw meeting Defra Secretary Steve Reed and Treasury Minister James Murray.
- David Exwood meeting Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner.
- 2,000+ pieces of media coverage.
- Opinion articles in the Financial Times and Telegraph, a 2-page spread in the Times, 2 Telegraph front-page stories.
- NFU member Becca Wilson asking a question to the Chancellor on the Laura Kuenssberg show.
- 120,000+ names on the APR hand-raiser.
- 3,500 emails sent to MPs ahead of the budget.
- 2.3 million views of NFU campaign videos on social media in the week since 29 October.
- 25,000 new Back British farming supporters since the Budget.
