The stark warning comes after Exchequer Secretary James Murray and Food Security Minister Daniel Zeichner called in representatives from across the farming sector including the TFA (Tenant Farmers Association), CLA (Country Land and Business Association) and CAAV (Central Association of Agricultural Valuers), and the wider UK farming unions, only to tell them the government had no interest in compromise.
Speaking after the meeting, NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: “Disappointed doesn’t cover how I feel after this meeting.
“Today, we have repeated our concerns about the impact on farming families – they don’t care.
“On the impact on families who can’t afford vast tax bills coming their way on the death of a loved one – they don’t care. On the elderly who feel they are now a burden on their family – the people who are the most vulnerable in our farming community – they don’t care.”
We offered a solution
Tom said “this morally bankrupt position sits with this government” and warned that, “without change, ministers will reap the consequences”.
“We went into this meeting fully understanding the fiscal hole this government must plug, and we went into this meeting to offer a solution.”
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
He continued: “For the 70 million people living on these islands, food security matters.
“It matters more given the ever-increasing geopolitical uncertainty.
“While this is shocking for me to say, the only conclusion I can come to is this government doesn’t care about British food production. Is this the same government which in its manifesto said food security is national security?
“We went into this meeting fully understanding the fiscal hole this government must plug, and we went into this meeting to offer a solution, a solution which has been suggested by other tax experts where the inheritance tax policy is based on a claw back mechanism.”
Claw back mechanism
Tom explained the solution put forward: “Put simply, farmers don’t get money when they inherit, they get the farm, the business asset, and often the debt. Any money they do get, they get when they sell.
“So, our suggestion is based on that premise. Our suggestion, which is almost revenue neutral meaning the Chancellor gets her planned income, is that if an inherited farm is sold then inheritance tax gets paid.
“Crucially, this would allow family farms that want to continue to produce the nation’s food to do so, while giving the Treasury what it wants.
“We also need to be clear, the current talk that the £500 million this generates, which will be raised on the backs of hard-working and hard-pressed farmers, will rescue the NHS is nonsense.
“This amount will fund the NHS for a day. It’s disingenuous for ministers to repeat this untruth.”
Huge disappointment
Tom added: “Despite the Chancellor calling for alternatives, and today the UK food sector went collectively to share those, I am hugely disappointed there was no response from Treasury today, no acknowledgement that this could be done better.
“This is the same Treasury department which admits it has not yet carried out impact assessments on its current policy.
“Let’s remember, this policy has now been challenged by farming unions and agriculture representatives from across the UK, it has been challenged by the independent Office of Budget Responsibility, by the Efra Select Committee, by tax advisers to the government, and recently the National Preparedness Committee has reminded us that UK food security is in a precarious state.
“And every single major food retailer in the UK has also called for change. Why? Because they can see what this will do to the security of the supply of their products.”
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Andrew Connon, NFUS President, Aled Jones, NFU Cymru President, Tom Bradshaw, NFU President, William Irvine, UFUF President.
NFU President Tom Bradshaw
Jeremy Moody, CAAV
George Dunn, TFA
Victoria Vyvyan, CLA
Tom speaks to press
Four UK farming union presidents outside the Treasury
Photograph: Lloyd Sturdy
‘What a way for government to behave’
In his concluding remarks, Tom urged the Treasury to look at the proposal put forward: “This is a mess, but there is still time for Treasury to review.
“I urge them to look at the proposal put to them by all the major farming organisations today. It will raise the money needed. It is a way forward which is fair, removes the huge risk to British agriculture, including significant emotional and financial pressures, and delivers for UK food security, something the government continues to insist is a priority.
“I want to thank NFU members for their continued support and I thank the public who continue to stand by British farming, with 275,000 people signing our petition.
“Thank you to those back-benchers who have come out to support their rural constituencies and thank you to those political parties which have pledged to dump this awful policy if they’re elected. From what we are told, the Chancellor has refused even to meet with her own worried MPs on this issue.
“Heads in the sand, fingers in ears, zero empathy. What a way for a government to behave.”
The NFU will bring to life the effect of the government’s proposed inheritance tax changes on all farming generations with a display of tractors and pre-loved farm toys outside its annual conference in London on 25 February.
You have until Wednesday 19 February to donate a toy at one of our regional drop off points. Don't forget to fill in our form with your message to government and tell us why you're donating.
Watch live as the National Farmers' Union (NFU) holds a press conference after meeting with the Treasury to provide an update on discussions over changes to inheritance tax for agricultural property and businesses https://t.co/AOJcVlFHco
— PA Media (@PA) February 18, 2025
Listen to Tom's speech in full via PA Media.
NFU members will be crucial for the next steps of the campaign as the NFU urges them to contact their MPs to influence the government to listen to the farming industry and change its policy.
To see what could happen and when, check out our family farm tax timeline.
Keep an eye out on NFUonline and your weekly Bulletin newsletter for updates.
