A symbolic wooden coffin, inscribed with the words "RIP British agriculture, 30th October 2024", set a defiant tone as Labour's environment minister arrived at the annual Oxford Farming Conference this week.
A Coffin for British Farming
The date marked Chancellor Rachel Reeves's first budget, where plans to levy inheritance tax on agricultural assets were unveiled. The prop was brought by arable farmer Christopher Marchment from Hampshire, who came with his working cocker spaniel, Grouse, to demand the tax's abolition. Marchment revealed the human cost of the policy, stating he knew of two farmers who had taken their own lives due to the stress of the proposed changes, which threatened their ability to pass on family farms.
U-Turn Fails to Quell Rural Outrage
While the government's pre-Christmas reversal – which raised the threshold for taxing inherited farmland from £1 million to £2.5 million – was welcomed by groups like the National Farmers' Union (NFU), it has done little to soothe broader anger. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, who replaced Steve Reed in September, faced a cacophony of protest at the conference, including blaring tractor horns.
Derek Pearce, a third-generation farmer from Buckinghamshire, accused the government of misunderstanding the countryside. "They are literally going after everything rural," he said, citing issues from pub closures and business rates to fishing and shooting. Protest signs echoed this sentiment, with messages like "Moov over Labour, it's time to go" and "Labour – killing our countryside".
A Charm Offensive Meets Deep Skepticism
Reynolds, the MP for Wycombe, embarked on a charm offensive, telling delegates "This government is serious about partnership with your sector." She thanked farmers for clearing recent snow and called them "the heart of our national life". She insisted the inheritance tax climbdown showed ministers were listening.
However, trust remains in short supply. NFU President Tom Bradshaw questioned whether domestic food production truly mattered to the government, stating farmers "don't know where the goalposts are". One anonymous conference attendee in a tweed jacket offered a stark political warning: "A lot of rural communities won't vote Labour again... They were burned by them."
The challenge for Reynolds was underscored as her cabinet colleagues prepared another U-turn on business rates for pubs, following bans on local Labour MPs by publicans. Despite claiming Labour now holds 136 rural or semi-rural seats, Reynolds conceded there would be no further concessions on the inheritance tax issue, stating firmly: "From our point of view that's it, I'm afraid." The coffin at the conference door served as a potent reminder of the scale of the task ahead to heal the rift with rural Britain.
