Former Labour minister Bill Rammell has branded the farming community’s response to inheritance tax changes as “hysterical” and “over the top”.
Speaking on GB News, the ex-minister criticised farmers for what he described as reactions that were “not grounded in the facts” regarding the Chancellor’s recent tax reforms.
The agricultural sector has planned a mass protest and lobby of MPs on November 19 in demonstration against Labour’s proposed changes to inheritance tax relief.
Rammell, who served in previous Labour governments, defended the new measures while acknowledging the farming industry receives substantial government support.
“We invest £5billion a year into the farming industry, unlike any other industry in the country,” he told GB News.
Under the new tax changes, farmers can still pass on £3million without paying inheritance tax, Rammell explained.
For amounts above this threshold, they receive a 50 per cent reduction, with inheritors given 10 years to pay the sum.
“That’s a damn good deal,” Rammell insisted during his GB News appearance.
The former Labour adviser claimed the inheritance tax raid was a ‘good deal’
GB News
The changes announced in the Budget mean farmers will now have to pay tax on property or land worth more than £1million when passed to descendants.
The Treasury has stated this will affect approximately a quarter of farmers.
Former Blair advisor John McTernan suggested farming was “an industry we could do without.”
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Speaking to GB News, McTernan had controversially compared potential farmer protests to the miners’ strike, saying: “If farmers want to go on the streets, we can do what Margaret Thatcher did to the miners.”
A furious Labour source condemned McTernan’s remarks as “shockingly irresponsible nonsense from someone who does not represent the Government.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also distanced himself from McTernan’s comments.
Speaking from Baku at the Cop29 conference, Starmer said: “I’m absolutely committed to supporting our farmers.”
Bill Rammell hit out at farmers for being ‘hysterical’ about the changes
GB News
Sir Keir emphasised his support for the agricultural sector, stating: “I will do everything I can to support them because I think it is important that they not only prosper but prosper well into the future.”
Rammell claimed the previous inheritance tax regime disproportionately benefited a small number of wealthy estates.
“Under the old regime, two thirds of the tax benefit went to just 200 families out of 209,000 farms – the very wealthy,” he told GB News.
“Half of them weren’t farmers, they were landowners, who’ve gone into it to get an inheritance tax break,” Rammell said.
The former minister acknowledged farmers’ hard work but questioned the fairness of their previous tax advantages.
“I think farmers work incredibly hard but I really don’t see, in terms of natural justice, why that is a bad deal when no one else in the country can get it,” he added.
He accused the farming lobby of misleading agricultural workers about the impact of the changes.
“I think they’re being ill advised by a very concerted farming lobby, and they’ve been at this for years,” he said.